Of Heirs and Changes
by lia-leigh
Summary: Harry Potter's life changes in his third year, with Sirius being released from of Azkaban. Lord Voldemort has regained his sanity and his soul, and has decided to take up the mantle of Lord Slytherin. Harry's in for a lot of changes, but is he ready? More importantly, is the world ready for the sweeping change to come? AU, obviously. ON PERMANENT HIATUS - SEE A/N IN MY PROFILE.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: **I'M BACK**. New year, new fic. I wrote out a super long note, but then just decided to keep it short and sweet. So thanks to everyone who has continuously read/reviewed/favorited my other stories. I really appreciate it.

* * *

 _Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _Warning:_ Currently, the rating for character death(s), some minor violence with very few graphic descriptions, and, of course, language (a.k.a. cursing and a few other bad words that aren't meant for young ears). If there's anything remarkable in a chapter, I'll post a warning at the beginning as well.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

A certain person, although he probably couldn't be called a man, stalked up to the front door of an unassuming cottage that was appearing in front of his brilliant scarlet eyes, thanks to the secret keeper revealing the secret.

Inside the cottage, panic ensued as James Potter shouted to his wife, "Lily, it's him! Take Harry and run! Hide!"

Lily Potter scooped up her infant son and raced up the stairs with a whirl of red hair, just as the front door crashed open and spells lit up the walls.

"Bombarda!" she heard her husband yell, as she closed the door to her son's nursery and began directing anything that could be spared in front of the door to act as a barricade. But then she could practically feel the spell that cut down her husband's life, and could just make out the eerily green glow that seemed to seep around the edges of the sealed door.

James Potter was dead.

And then the door exploded around them, sending splintered pieces of wood and bits of fluff flying through the air.

Lily ducked and dropped her son in his crib and turned with her wand at the ready to face Voldemort.

"You silly, little girl. Step aside and you'll be spared."

"Never."

"Step aside!"

"No, not Harry! I'll never let you kill him."

"Then I'll kill you instead." The green light filled the room as Lily Potter dropped to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut. Her limbs splayed awkwardly and her wand rolled under Harry's crib.

Voldemort turned his wand on the infant in the crib, who was staring at him with big green eyes. The second he cast the spell, he regretted it, mainly because he could feel his already feel a piece of his shredded soul trying to wrench its way out of his body.

It must be some special magic.

Voldemort's eyes went black, irises and all, as he fought to cast the spell he had created only the month before. It wrestled with his soul and pieced it haphazardly back together. The misfired Killing Curse hit the wall and caused plaster to land on and around the now bawling baby.

He knew what he had to do, and that meant getting out of Godric's Hollow.

###

His one and only stop was his current headquarters, a dingy and dark stone castle in Wales. He went straight to a hidden chamber behind his throne room. He had created his new spell for a reason, but now he had a new one.

As he prepared the cast the spell, his eyes once again flooded with black and the chamber felt alive. He cast the spell, this time using much more power.

The affects started close to home, so to speak. A few meters away, the snake that many thought was his familiar, began to writhe in pain, before being rent apart as a hazy black substance leaked from its mouth and eyes.

A lot further away, in Wilthshire, a small, black book, hidden in a shadowy corner in a secret hidey hole wasted away from the inside out with a scream.

In the Come-and-Go room on the seventh floor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a silver tiara studded with sapphires twisted itself into a metal heap of nothing. It had been lost before, but now it was lost forever.

In a cabinet in an empty, dreary home, a locket marked with a filigreed 'S' came to life before strangling itself with its own chain, and then disappeared forever with a puff of black smoke, causing the sole occupant, an elderly house elf, to break out in a jig. His master's final order had finally been fulfilled.

Not too far from that, a small goblet, buried in the depths of a vault in the most high-security area of a certain vault, screamed and shifted, falling off the shelf and shattering the a loud clang on the stone floor.

And in Little Hangleton, hidden under a dusty floorboard, a long-lost artifact, imbedded in a lovely gold band, turned and twisted before leaching black ooze and hissing into nothing. It definitely wasn't going to bring back the dead ever again.

And so the Horcruxes were gone. While his soul may never be fully unblemished, at least it was one moment closer to being whole.

The man who rose from the floor had dark hair, dark eyes and pale skin.

Goodbye, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Goodbye, Lord Voldemort.

Hello, Lord Marvolo Slytherin.

For a moment, he couldn't remember why in Merlin's name he was laying on a cold, filthy floor. And then it all came back to him. The murders, the Horcruxes, the insane rhetoric, the Death Eaters. What had he done? What had happened to the Knights of Walpurgis, his clear agenda? It was all gone, all of it. He had become a crazed madman without any discernable goals. Well, it was time to do this the right way.

The first thing he did was exit into the next room and he transfigured a set of somewhat decent robes and a pair of shoes out of the gruesome throne at the front. Why on Earth had he ever let people kiss his robes?

Then he tucked his wand into his pocket and set off for Gringotts.

Despite the late hour, the bank was still open. There was no one inside, however, he chose the teller the furthest from the door. No need to make this common knowledge.

"I need to claim an inheritance," he whispered to the teller, who stared at him through his gold-rimmed monocle.

"You were not welcome here. You tainted goblin-made artifacts with something evil that shouldn't be spoken of. But I can see that you have cleansed yourself. So welcome back to Gringotts, Mr. Riddle." The goblin's grin revealed two rows of pointed teeth.

"Hopefully, I will be Lord Slytherin when I leave."

"Follow me, then, Mr. Riddle."

The teller let him to a plain, wood paneled room and left him there to his thoughts. A minute later, another goblin entered the room with a silver bowl and matching knife. Let us see if you are who you really are, Mr. Riddle. Cut your right thumb and place five drops of blood in the bowl.

He did so, and put his thumb in his mouth afterwards. He wasn't dumb enough to pull out a wand in front of a goblin. The bowl glowed blue, verifying his identity.

"Mr. Riddle, You are the rightful heir to the titles, property, and wealth of the sorcerer known as Salazar Slytherin. Do you wish to claim these titles, estates, monies, and objects?"

The goblin presented him with a gold signet ring featuring a twisted serpent, which, according to the goblin, had been held in trust for ages.

"I also wish to change my name, to accompany my new title, and to erase any mention of my previous name."

"That is dangerous magic; Mr. Riddle."

"I am aware, which is why I would prefer to conduct it here, a place known for its safety and _discretion."_

"Very well, Mr. Riddle. As you are the one who suggested it, I believe you already know the correct words."

" _Homo sum egens et novum nomen regeneratio._ _Ex hac hora et deinceps Tom Marvolo Riddle sit manus et clausi quoque oblivioni tradentur et Marvolo Slytherin consurget pro eo_." [Translation: I am a man in need of a new name and a rebirth. From this moment forward, Tom Marvolo Riddle is to be gone and forgotten, and Marvolo Slytherin shall rise in his place. A/N: I know zero Latin - thanks Google Translate! - so if this is wrong, let me know!]

As he spoke the words, he placed his hand over the bowl and slashed open his left palm and let it flood into the small basin. Once he finished speaking, he waited for the bowl to glow white and grow warm, and once he did, he picked it up and drank every last drop of blood that there was.

As the blood magic took hold, he managed to hold in his crowing. He had succeeded. Tom Marvolo Riddle, and the cowardly anagram, was no more. The cut on his hand healed, leaving only a thin crusting of dried blood behind.

"Now if you could please sign this, Mr. Slytherin."

He knew not to press to hard, as he preferred to not have his name forever engraved in his hand. He signed the document as 'Marvolo Slytherin' and then the goblin congratulated him.

"Here is your family ledger, dating back to the beginning of your family line. Through your maternal connection to Salazar Slytherin, you have nothing. The Gaunts wasted each and every last penny, and technically, they never even owned that hovel in Little Hangleton. However, Salazar Slytherin passed parts of his fortune down to all three of his children, not just his first born. His younger son and daughter never had children, meaning that, as the last living descendent of Salazar Slytherin, you inherit their inheritances. This includes the smaller of the two Slytherin manors and a modest fortune."

Marvolo nodded to the goblin before rising and leaving. After a lengthy trip down into the depths of Gringotts and relieving his new vault of several hundred galleons, he headed onto his next destination, his new home.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'Her hair fanned around her head, like an angry, copper halo, demanding that he call on the archangel within and exact revenge in her memory.'

A/N: Just an FYI, I'm already halfway through writing Chapter 11 (as of 1/3/16), so yay!


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 **A/N: This chapter is dedicated to** Alan Rickman **, as it was announced this morning that he had passed away. I still can't believe that he's gone, and it's very clear that the world will miss him, not to mention the unique character and voice that he brought to both the screen and the stage. While it was unintentional, since this was written a month ago, I think part of this chapter will be a fitting** **tribute. Rest in peace, Mr. Rickman.**

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'And so the Horcruxes were gone. While his soul may never be fully unblemished, at least it was one moment closer to being whole.'

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

While Voldemort was cavorting across the country, although his journey wasn't all that merry, Harry Potter was discovered tucked away in his crib, his dead mother steps away. His cherubic cheeks were red and ruddy, his nose runny, and tears coursed down his face.

The first to discover macabre scene was one Severus Snape, whose conscience had been tugging his heart out if his chest. The moment that he realized that he remembered the location of the Potter's summer cottage; he knew that the Dark Lord had broken the Fidelius Charm.

Lily had only mentioned the place briefly, but he knew that she had loved it.

He waited a half hour, sitting white knuckled in a threadbare, wing backed chair, lest he interrupt the Dark Lord. And then he turned on the spot and landed across the street. It was late, and while the Halloween lights still flickered in the somewhat nearby houses, the street was empty.

He quickly crossed the street and saw the remains of the front door, hanging from its fractured hinges. He saw the marks on the walls from misfired spells, one of which had knocked into the ceiling light and left the living room in darkness, except for the light filtering in from the kitchen.

But still no Lily.

He continued to the stairs, and came across a pair of sock-clad feet. Which led to a pair of legs wearing jeans. Which led to torso in a plaid, button down shirt. Which led to a face with unseeing eyes, crooked spectacles, topped with unruly dark hair.

James Potter.

Snape pushed down the urge to kick the corpse of his school rival, knowing that Lily wouldn't like that.

He kept going, and found the downed nursery door.

And there she was.

Her hair fanned around her head, like an angry, copper halo, demanding that he call on the archangel within and exact revenge in her memory.

He barely spared a glance for the now silent baby in the crib, instead choosing to cradle his best friend, rocking her corpse back and forth on the blue carpeted nursery floor.

And then there was a 'pop'.

Another wizard.

And so Severus Snape stole off into the night, leaving his love behind.

###

Albus Dumbledore, clad in dark purple robes with twinkling gold stars, as it was Halloween, after all, arrived in Godric's Hallow. He had the worst of feelings. That something had gone horribly, terribly wrong.

At first, he thought that everything was right with the world. And then he realized that he could see the Potter's cottage home. And that the front door had been blasted to pieces. And that the light was on, but no one was home.

He rushed inside, and soon stumbled upon James, sprawled on the stairs his wand still in hand, the ghost of a spell on his lips.

And then he found Lily, fallen to the floor. But what was this? Or rather, who? Harry Potter looked up at Dumbledore with wet, round eyes. Apparently, Lord Voldemort had fled before he could complete his mission, as there was no Dark Mark in the sky and the child was still alive.

Little did Dumbledore know, but deep in the Department of Mysteries, a crystal sphere was shattering with an unholy moan.

"Mama," Harry Potter whispered.

"Oh dear."

Dumbledore made a quick decision and scooped Harry out of his crib and wrapped him in a blanket. He transfigured a scrap of debris into a piece of parchment, and another into a self-inking quill. He knew exactly who Harry could stay with.

He apparated away and landed in Surrey. He walked to the front door of a very normal house in a very normal neighborhood full of very normal people, and laid Harry down on the stoop.

"Good luck, Harry Potter."

And with a 'pop', he was gone.

###

Several hours later, before the neighbors would be up and able to see the multitude of pink rollers in her hair, Petunia Dursley stepped outside the door to see if the morning paper had arrived in their driveway yet.

The paper hadn't arrived, but a package had.

Interesting. It had to be interesting because curious wasn't a thing in the Dursley household.

And then, biting off a shriek, Petunia realized that the package was a baby. She craned her head in both directions, as if seeking the culprit, before snatching the blanket-swaddled baby off her front step.

It wouldn't do for the neighbors to see, or hear if the _thing_ started crying.

"Vernon!" she hissed towards the kitchen, holding it as far as she could without dropping it. "Someone left this at our front door."

Vernon Dursley, a large man with little neck, shuffled into the hallway wearing a navy dressing gown and matching slippers.

"Some arse left a baby at our door?" he hissed back, once he realized what exactly his wife was holding. "Well, then let's take it to the station. They'll deal with it. Of all the nerve..."

And then Petunia caught sight of the paper that fluttered to the floor. But it wasn't paper. She knew exactly what it was. Lily's kind wrote on it with quills, sending letters back and forth with owls. She shuddered at the memory. Nasty, dirty birds.

She read the note from the headmaster that she had begged to let her into his school all those years ago, and felt a chill run down her spine. Lily was dead? Lily was dead. And apparently, that awful boy with the rat's nest on his head was dead too.

Petunia finished reading Albus' note, and realized that she had no choice. She had to keep it. And so after a long conversation with her husband and a reluctant nappy change later, Harry Potter became the sole resident of the cupboard under the stairs at Number Four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'At some point the screaming stopped. And at some point, Neville fell asleep in her arms, and she cradled him in her arms.'

A/N: I know that there's not a lot of dialogue and more filler/background, but don't worry, the action's coming soon! I hope you found the beginning a fitting tribute to a brilliant, creative individual.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'Her hair fanned around her head, like an angry, copper halo, demanding that he call on the archangel within and exact revenge in her memory.'

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

While Petunia Dursley tried convinced herself that taking in her orphafned nephew couldn't be the worst thing to ever happen to her (although it did feel like her perfectly normal world was ending), her sister and her brother-in-law were being buried at the cemetery in Godric's Hallow.

Albus Dumbledore, with a grave expression on his face, waved his wand to allow the matching mahogany coffins to descend into the ground side-by-side. The white marble tombstone that the two graves shared glistened in the early November light.

The service was fairly private, with only a select few members of the Order being present. A thin and shabby Remus Lupin stood on the edge of the proceedings, next to a twitchy-face Peter Pettigrew. He always had seemed a bit like his Animagus form.

Sirius Black was nowhere to be seen.

The thought of his former student made Dumbledore want to cry. Where had they gone wrong? As far as all of them knew, Sirius had been the Potters' secret keeper, meaning that he had given their location up to Voldemort.

Of course, Voldemort had mysteriously gone quiet. Severus hadn't heard a word since before Tom had mentioned that he was seeking out the Potters.

With the funeral over, the few mourners present dispersed. Severus watched from a distance, still disillusioned by a spell long after the funeral ended. He had had to keep his distance due to the wards that Albus had placed along the perimeter; however, he would never miss his Lily's last moments above ground.

###

"YOU TRAITOR!" Sirius faced one of his former best friends with a look of pure hate. "Lily and James trusted you! They trusted you with their lives and you bloody betrayed them!"

Soon, pops of the arriving Aurors began to ring in his ears.

"No, Sirius, you killed Lily and James! It's your fault!"

 _BOOM._

Sirius could feel the blasting curse shake him to the centers of his bones, and then felt pure rage at the malicious grin on Peter's round face as he chopped off a finger and shrunk into thin air. He could barely make out a rat scurrying away from the destruction, but he could definitely see the scarlet robes closing in around him.

###

All was quiet at Longbottom Manor, and then all hell broke loose.

"Frank! Death Eaters!"

Frank Longbottom raced to the dining room where his mother and son were enjoying their lunch and herded them to a warded safe room hidden behind a panel in their study.

"Mother, send a Patronus to Albus; tell him that we're under attack. And keep Neville safe."

"You know I will."

"I love you Neville. You too, mother"

The tot seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, as he met his father's gaze with unwavering blue eyes.

And then a high-pitched scream echoed through the halls of the manor, causing Frank's head to snap up and Neville to start wailing.

"I love you. Don't leave unless it's me or Albus. Keep him safe. Please."

And then Frank Longbottom rushed to his wife's aid, while in the safe room, Augusta Longbottom pulled out her wand and cast her Patronus, a stately swan. She whispered a message to the corporeal protector and it glided along its way.

And then there was more screaming.

She put her hands over Neville's tiny ears so that he couldn't hear his parents' suffering.

And then there were more screams.

And more screams.

And more screams.

At some point the screaming stopped. And at some point, Neville fell asleep, and she cradled him in her arms.

And then she finally heard Albus call her name from the corridor. "Augusta! Augusta!"

She couldn't help but be cautious as she peeked from her hiding place, leaving Neville on the lone seat, and peered around the study door.

Sure enough, Albus Dumbledore stood there, looking more and more his age. "Neville?" he asked.

"I have him. He's safe." She returned to the study, picked up Neville, and the secured the secret room from the outside. "Where are Frank and Alice? Where are they Albus?"

"I believe that tea may be necessary for this conversation. The Aurors are still here, although they shouldn't be near the kitchen."

They went to the breakfast room off the kitchen that featured an entire wall of windows looking out over the manor's extensive gardens and greenhouses.

"Mossey," Augusta called with a surprisingly, especially to her, steady voice. The house elf appeared, wringing her hands.

"Master Frank ordered us alls away when the bad people comes," the creature fretted.

"Please, Mossey, tea for my guest and I. And something light to eat as well." If Augusta Longbottom was anything, she was a good hostess. "Now Albus, I do believe you have news for me regarding my son and daughter-in-law."

Albus knew Augusta, and he knew that he had to do this right. "Dowager Lady Longbottom, you have my deepest and greatest sympathies and condolences for the deaths of your son, Lord Frank Longbottom, and your daughter-in-law, Lady Alice Longbottom. They will be missed, and the transgressors will be punished to the fullest extent of magical law."

Augusta subconsciously tightened her hold on her grandson and stared down into the cup of tea that had just appeared in front of her.

"My son is dead?" she whispered.

"I am so very, very sorry." Albus said to confirm the news. "I can tell you that your son was brave until his last breath, and that you did everything right. You raised someone who deserved the title of Lord Longbottom."

Augusta barely nodded, instead rocking her still sleeping grandson back and forth as her tea went cold.

###

Not long after the torture and death of the Longbottoms, the recently arrested Death Eaters were brought forward to the Wizengamot to be sentenced for their crimes.

Bellatrix twitched madly in her chains as she hummed a little ditty.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, for the murder of thirty Muggles, the torture of more, and for the torture and deaths of Frank and Alice Longbottom, you are hereby sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss at dawn."

Her husband's and brother-in-law's fates were the same.

And then it was her cousin's turn.

"Sirius Orion Black, Heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Black," Bartemius Crouch, Sr. intoned, "you are hereby sentenced to a lifetime sentence in Azkaban prison for your crimes as a Death Eater, namely the betrayal of Lily and James Potter, leading to their murders at the hands of He-Must-Not-Be-Named."

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'Once Harry was gone, and the few other students who were doing some late studying returned to the dorms, she fingered the thin, gold chain around her neck. "I hope so," she whispered to herself.'

A/N: These past couple of chapters have been quite dark, haven't they? Oh well, I still hope you enjoyed them! I know that this is a lot of background, but I 100% promise that we will be jumping into the main story line very, very soon, so get ready.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

(Side note: Also, this is preemptive, but I don't have a beta, so don't throw pitchforks at me for mistakes - I try to edit as best as I can!)

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'At some point the screaming stopped. And at some point, Neville fell asleep in her arms, and she cradled him in her arms.'

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

'Rap, rap, rap.' Harry Potter's alarm clock, otherwise known as his Aunt Petunia, woke him up as she always did: by knocking harshly on the locked door to his tiny bedroom.

"Wake up!" It was definitely earlier than his usual wake up call, and he realized why after he pulled on a stretched out gray shirt, holey jeans, and worn down trainers.

It was Dudley's birthday, his thirteenth to be exact. It was clear from the massive pile of presents that had overflowed the kitchen table. There were always more every year.

"Make breakfast! Everything has to be just perfect for my Dinky Duddydum's special, special day."

Harry pulled out the pan, and got the bacon and eggs out of the fridge, as well as the bread out of the breadbox. He filled all four slots of the toaster before sliding the lever down, and then started cooking the bacon. Dudley and Uncle Vernon's stomachs were black holes, and they normal ate at least enough for five.

Harry also got started on the bangers and beans. Dudley almost always wanted a full English breakfast, sans anything that might look like a vegetable. As a result, he resembled a small whale instead of a just-turned-teenage boy.

Once the food was ready, he carefully pulled out the plates, forks, and knives, and set the table, and then he piled on the food, making sure to leave enough in the pans for seconds.

Once breakfast was over and Harry had scrubbed everything clean, he was forced to sit and watch Dudley unwrap ten new video games, a remote control car, a racing bike, boxing gloves, two gold watches, a new phone, a new tablet, a bigger TV than the one that was already in his room, plus all of his other gifts.

As they were finishing up and as Harry cleared away the small mountains of wrapping paper and ribbon, Dudley's friend Piers arrived, as he was going with the Dursleys to see the boxing match that they had promised Dudley. Harry, of course, was staying behind with their neighbor, Mrs. Figg. He always stayed behind when the Dursleys went somewhere, especially if they were going somewhere fun.

But then the phone rang. The other occupants of the house listened as Petunia answered the call.

"This is she…Yes?...What?...Oh, how terrible. I'm very sorry to hear that." She didn't sound sorry at all. "At least a week? Well, then I wish her the best….Of course. Yes, it's fine. Have a good day."

Petunia hung up the phone with an angry huff. "That was Mrs. Figg's nephew; she tripped over one of her cats and broke her leg. She can't take the boy."

"What about your friend, what's her name? The one who drives the Mercedes?"

"Yvonne? Heaven's no. And besides, she's going on a holiday to Majorca next week. What about Marge?"

"She's at a breeder's convention until Monday."

"So then what do we do?"

Ultimately, Harry ended up in his room with a tin of soup, a can opener, and two packets of salty crackers, and a paper cup from the bathroom, full of water, while the Dursleys and Piers headed out for the day.

###

While Harry enjoyed his Dursley-free day, hanging out with Hedwig and catching up on his school work, many kilometers away, in a ramshackle house, not far from the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, a pet rat decided to go on an adventure.

After all, he was getting rather tied of being a rat, and the annual trips to Hogwarts were beginning to wear on him. Especially since cats had been particularly popular in the past few years, and the wretched creatures were always too smart for his taste.

Especially that Granger girl's hellish, orange, fur ball of a half kneazle. It had practically almost killed him last year.

And his current owner, the youngest boy, probably wouldn't miss him too much. After all, he forgot to feed him practically every other day, so he was reduced to stealing scraps here and there.

So the rat slipped outside threw a small crack in the wooden Dutch door and rushed into the trees that shielded the house from Muggle eyes. And then he transformed into a man, threw on the threadbare dark cloak that had been balled up in his pocket over his shoulders, and disapparated.

###

Harry was more than relieved when it was finally time to head to Diagon Alley for school supplies. After Ron and the twins' stunt last year, Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley had decided that it would be best if he stayed at the Dursleys for the entirety of the summer, lest they get even more annoyed.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley picked him up in a magically expanded car, on loan from the Ministry, for the trip to London. Ron, Fred and George, Percy, and Ginny were all inside already, and so was Hermione.

"How's your summer been?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "Pretty good. My mum and dad took me to Greece. They had a very strong magical government, even if the Muggle one isn't doing so well. We went to the Acropolis and a few other places. Yours?"

"Nothing too interesting."

"Scabbers ran away," Ron said morosely, changing the direction of the conversation. "It's probably your stupid cat's fault. Practically gave Scabbers a heart attack every day."

"Crookshanks did nothing wrong," Hermione said, her tone imperious. "Maybe you should take better care of your pets. I'd run away too if you forgot to feed me half the time."

Their bickering continued for the rest of the car ride and into Diagon Alley. "Everyone have your lists?" After seeing them all nod, Mr. Weasley continued, saying. "OK, then. Ron, Hermione, Harry, stick together. Ginny, you'll be with Fred, George, and Percy. Your mother and I need to get a few things, so let's meet at Fortescue's at half past one."

After stopping by Gringotts, so that Hermione could exchange her pounds for Galleons, and so that Harry could withdraw some pocket money from his vault, they headed out to buy their supplies. Hermione's class list was significantly longer than Harry's and Ron's, as they had chosen to take only Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. While Hermione was taking, well, everything.

After a lengthy trip to Flourish & Blotts, they had to hustle through the rest of their shopping to meet up with everyone else on time. After ice cream and goodbyes, it was time to go.

###

A few weeks later, it was finally September first. Harry could barely contain his relief as he heaved his trunk into the boot of Uncle Vernon's company car. Vernon was practically whistling, as he tended to do every year. After all, the freak would be gone until June! This practically required a celebration.

After a very un-ceremonial drop-off, void of goodbyes, Harry pressed on and passed through the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

He met up with Hermione and Ron on the train, and Ginny, Neville, and Luna joined them.

"Mum packed these for you," Ron said, pulling a few lumpy, wrapped sandwiches out of his pocket. "Roast beef and Swiss."

"Tell her thanks for me. Did you ever find Scabbers?"

"Nope. Probably long gone or dead. Bit of a shame, I liked having a pet, even if Scabbers was a bit of a lump. I'd like an owl, but there's no way Mum and Dad could get me one."

Harry was grateful for sending Hedwig along to Hogwarts early. Besides the fact that Uncle Vernon hadn't wanted 'that feathered monstrosity' in his car, his owl's presence would have made for a few more uncomfortable moments.

It wasn't too long until the woman was the cart laden with treats rolled past their compartment door, and Harry helped himself to a little bit of everything, piling all of the snacks and candy onto the free seat.

###

Severus Snape was stalking through Knockturn Alley, his customary black cloak thrown casually over his shoulders. Even if someone stopped him, he had a note from Dumbledore.

His lips curled at the thought of being treated like a schoolboy, although he couldn't help but be grateful that Dumbledore had kept him out of Azkaban all those years ago. He couldn't imagine spending a lifetime in a cell next to Black. Seven years at school had been enough. And it was about to start again, as he had to be back at the castle that evening for the feast.

But then something interrupted his chain of thought.

He spotted a squat form, a form so familiar that he was sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him. The figure moved along. Snape was torn between going about his short trip to Magellan's Magical Apothecary, which carried some of the world's rarest ingredients, and pursuing the mysterious person.

His curiosity won out. Against his better judgement, and after chastising himself for acting like a Gryffindor, he crept after the person, turning corner after corner until they were finally alone. And then he sent a silent stunner, watched as the person dropped like a stone, and then he side-along apparated them to his home at Spinner's End.

He conjured ropes and tied them to a dusty armchair, removed their wand from their pants pocket, and took a deep breath before throwing back the person's hood.

And then with white, trembling hands, he wrote a letter to one of his least favorite people.

###

Remus Lupin glanced up as an owl approached his window, which then started tapping furiously on the glass. Who would be sending _him_ a letter? Employers weren't exactly banging down his door.

After all, he was sipping tea at ten in the morning because his Muggle job, his first steady employment in years, had just sacked him due to his numerous sick days.

With a sigh, the weary plan lowered his plain china mug onto the wooden table and opened the window. After he untied the letter from the owl's leg, it hopped to his abandoned plate, which was sitting next to the sink, pecked at the reaming crumbs from his breakfast of dry toast, and then flew back out the window.

He unfolded the parchment, and started in shock at the sharp and slanted handwriting that he hadn't seen since his seventh year at Hogwarts.

The missive read:

' _Pettigrew is alive. I have him. Come to 79 Spinner's End. It's near where Lily lived.'_

And it was signed:

S. Snape

Remus jumped up and jammed the letter into his pocket. He grabbed his wand and was gone seconds later. He apparated to a discrete parking lot, before starting his search for Snape's house. He had never realized how close his antagonist from his school years and Lily grew up to each other. The last time he was here was when he was with the Order, helping put out a fire the Death Eaters had started. Lily's parents had burned alive and her childhood home had burned to the ground.

Spinner's End was definitely on the worse side of town, but thankfully, number seventy-nine wasn't hard to find. He rapped purposely on the door, and was let in by the dour man who lived there.

"Are you sure it's him?" was the first thing he asked.

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure," Severus answered. "I'm waiting an hour to make sure that it isn't some fool using old Polyjuice. I almost didn't tell you, but I figured that you of all people deserved a crack at him."

"How close were you to Lily?" Remus asked.

Severus mentally let out a curse. The other man was too astute for his own good. "I was closer to her than she was to me."

"You loved her didn't you?"

"I begged the Dark Lord to spare her, and I begged Dumbledore to hide them. This little _rat_ is the reason why she's gone. I may have hated Potter, but that doesn't mean that he deserved to die. Neither of them should have died."

"Wow, you do have a soul in there somewhere." And then Remus' own face went nearly as pale as Severus', and he jumped up and started pacing. "Do you have Veritaserum?"

Severus snorted. "I'm one of the youngest potion masters in thirty years, of course I have Veritaserum. Why?"

"If Peter's still alive, that means that Sirius didn't kill him," Remus responded, stuttering through his former friend's name. "And if Sirius didn't kill him, it's highly likely that Peter staged the whole thing. Which means that Sirius didn't betray Lily and James, Peter did. He was the secret keeper all along."

"And you want a recorded confession so that you can break the mutt out of jail and skip off into a land full of rainbows and sunshine."

Remus shot a dirty look at Severus, but answered, "Yes, that's exactly what I plan to do. Minus the rainbows and sunshine. Once I have what I need to free Sirius, you can do whatever you please with him. I don't want his blood on my hands."

"Not even a drop?"

###

"What do you think's up with Snape?" Harry asked, jerking his head in the direction of the professors. "He's white as a ghost."

"The bat probably didn't leave the dungeons all summer," Ron answered while shoving a forkful of smashed potatoes and gravy into his mouth.

"Have some respect Harry, it's _Professor_ Snape. You too, Ron. Just because you don't like him doesn't mean that he isn't one of the youngest potions masters in recent history and one of the best in Britain," Hermione lectured. "And besides, I thought we said no more snooping? We've broken at least fifty school rules in two years and the last time we almost got eaten by a colony acromantulas. So drop it."

Ron shuddered violently at the memory her words conjured up.

With a prim flip of her hair, Hermione went eating her dinner.

After Dumbledore made the standard start-of-term announcements, and said a few interesting words, they were off to their beds for a good night's sleep before the first day of classes.

###

It was a week into the school year, and Harry and Ron weren't any closer to figuring out how Hermione was navigating between her many classes. They had even sneaked a peek at her agenda, but it made no sense. How could someone be going to two classes at once?

Harry finally managed to catch up with her in the common room one night. It was nearly deserted, as it was almost eleven, but Hermione still had her head buried in a book, fervently jotting down notes.

"You OK Hermione?" Harry asked, sitting on the sofa adjacent to her armchair. "You look pretty tired."

Her eyes snapped to him before sliding back to the pages of her book. "I'm fine, Harry. Really. I just have a lot of homework."

"But how? There's no way you're actually taking this many classes."

"Look, I can handle it. I've already told Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall that I can. Don't worry about me; I'm fine. I just have a few more things to get through and then I'll go to bed."

Harry wasn't all that reassured, but he was about to drop himself. "If you say so Hermione. 'Night."

"'Night, Harry."

Once Harry was gone, and the few other students who were doing some late studying returned to the dorms, she fingered the thin, gold chain around her neck. "I hope so," she whispered to herself.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'Remus Lupin bared his teeth in an ugly parody of a smile, before responding in a deceptively calm voice, "May Merlin and Morgana have mercy on your soul."'

A/N: We are seriously so close to seeing Sirius (I just _had_ to throw in that pun there)! He's coming up in the next chapter (I promise). But I hope you enjoyed this lead-up, and don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'Once Harry was gone, and the few other students who were doing some late studying returned to the dorms, she fingered the thin, gold chain around her neck. "I hope so," she whispered to herself.'

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Severus Snape returned to Spinner's End as soon as he could. It was fairly late, as the feast had been endless and he had already had to handle a homesick first-year Slytherin. After Remus arrived, thanks to a quick message via Severus' Patronus all, Remus knew about Lily, it was time to finally give their guest a proper welcome.

After a quick spell that caused the man to jolt, as though he had been dreaming about falling and suddenly hitting the ground. Peter Pettigrew woke up and found himself staring into a pair of amber eyes that looked very familiar.

"Remus! What are you doing here? Quick, help me, I've been attacked!"

Remus Lupin bared his teeth in an ugly parody of a smile, before responding in a deceptively calm voice, "May Merlin and Morgana have mercy on your soul."

###

The next morning, the residents and shopkeepers of Diagon Alley started their days to a blue September sky, clear and nearly cloudless.

And then a woman let out a sound, something between a shriek and a piercing wail.

The bloody and bruised body of Peter Pettigrew, trussed up and decapitated was there, right in the crux of the main pathways of Diagon Alley. Not far from the body was the head, complete with matted hair and small, now not-so-watery eyes. A torn, shabby sleeve revealed the faded Dark Mark on the dead man's left forearm, a knife imbedded in the cold flesh above it.

"Someone call the Aurors!" someone shouted from a doorway while someone helped the obviously distraught first witness away from the scene.

Not long after, the alley was shut down and the crime scene cordoned off. Scarlet-robed Aurors were milling about the street, talking to anyone who had seen the body or had been in anywhere nearby the previous night.

But no one had seen anything, let alone heard anything.

Some Aurors stayed on the scene to check for traces of magical residue, while others returned to the Ministry. One slipped away to inform Albus Dumbledore of this newest development.

###

Simultaneously, Amelia Bones, director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, received a very damning memory on her desk.

###

Sirius Black shivered in his cell. His prisoner's robes hung off his bony shoulders in rough tatters. His hair was long and matted, and his beard was equally straggly. Over a decade of imprisonment hadn't been kind to him.

And then he saw two guards. They weren't Dementors. They were _human_. Wizards. With wands. One of the men pointed his wand at the lock while simultaneously inserting a heavy, iron key. Sirius' tired gray eyes grew even bigger on his sunken face.

"There's been an order straight from the Ministry, you're being released."

"What?" Sirius rasped. They only got water twice a day. It was rarely cool and rarely fresh.

"New evidence. Apparently Pettigrew was a little lying bastard. Come on, you have a visitor."

No one got visitors in Azkaban. Most families didn't accept those who fell from grace.

"Move!" the guard barked, tired with Sirius' unnervingly bewildered staring.

Sirius stood on shaky legs and bare feet, and struggled to make his way to the door. Two more guards were waiting in the corridor, with more Patroni to keep the Dementors away, and the procession shuffled at a slow pace to a conference room in another part of the prison, away from the depressing stench of filth and death that permeated the blocks of cells.

Two women that he hadn't seen in ages were waiting in the room, seated on uncomfortable metal chairs that were magically bolted to the floor.

"A-a-andy?" he asked.

Her dark hair and heavy-lidded eyes similar to her insane sister's, but her face held a warm that Bellatrix's never had. "I'm here, Sirius," Andromeda confirmed, reaching across the table to clasp his clammy hand in hers. "Director Bones is here to oversee your release."

"Director Bones?"

"In the flesh, Sirius." Amelia Bones gave him a smile that was rarer than one of McGonagall's. "You don't know how sorry I am that this has happened to you; this was more than just a gross injustice."

All Sirius could do was nod numbly.

"Please, continue, Director Bones," Andromeda said, her voice tone stiff and formal. "The soon Sirius can return home, the better."

"Of course. I received evidence from an anonymous source this morning. A series of memories actually, belonging to Peter Pettigrew, pertaining to how he gave the Potters' location to You-Know-Who and the moments before your arrest. This morning, Pettigrew's body was found in Diagon Alley."

"He's actually dead?"

"Very much so, and it's definitely him, down to the missing finger. We already ran all of the proper tests, and the body is currently under a stasis charm the D.M.L.E. morgue. He has no surviving relatives, so the department will dispose of it once it is no longer needed as evidence."

Sirius slumped in his seat; however, he was unsure if it was out of shock or relief. "So now what?" he asked.

"I have your release papers, signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. You are to be released immediately, and your wand returned, along with any other possessions that were on your person at the time of your arrest in 1981."

"Bagnold's still around?"

"It's her successor, Cornelius Fudge."

"That idiot was chosen as Minister?"

"We're finally at peace. It could be worse. Here you go."

Sirius reached out and clasped the handle of his wand, remembering the words that Ollivander had said many years before. 'Aspen and dragon heartstring, twelve-and-a-half inches. You will grow to be a strong wizard, young Master Black, and you'll go far with this wand.'

He felt the warmth spread down his fingers and up his arm, a pleasant tingle that reminded him that he was still himself.

"Here are the rest of your personal affects," Amelia said, sliding a cardboard box with a lid across the table.

"If I may," Andromeda said, cutting in. "I brought clothing for my cousin to change into. Once he is ready, we will be leaving. I'm sure you understand that we don't have time for personal sentimentality."

"I understand," Amelia replied. "I would like to inform you that we have already begun our own internal investigation. At the time of Sirius' arrest, the head of the D.M.L.E. was actually Barty Crouch. Our inquiries will begin with him."

"Very well. Let's go Sirius."

Sirius changed for the first time in ten years, and then his cousin side-along apparated him to her home. He was still holding on tightly to his box.

"I got Ted to take Nymphadora out for the day, so that she wouldn't be underfoot. She read the paper, so she already knows. She starts Auror training next month."

"I still don't know why you named her that. But can I see the paper?"

"After you change again and bathe. And have a shave. I'll help give your hair a trim."

Although he desperately wanted to see the _Daily Prophet_ , a bath sounded very appealing. Andy pointed him towards a bathroom with a large tub and fluffy towels, and let him have at it. By the time he was done, he had had to empty and refill the tub thrice, due to the water turning nearly black, then gray, then brown with grime. As he got dressed, he frowned at the flesh, bone, and hollow cheeks that he saw in the mirror. He methodically trimmed and shaved off who-knew-how-many years of beard growth, but he couldn't do much for the circles under his eyes besides muttering the words for a basic glamour charm.

Once he was finally ready, he exited the bathroom and went to the dining room, where Andy was waiting with her wand and a pair of scissors. Once she was done, Sirius was looking and feeling much more like himself again.

While Andy set about making breakfast, Sirius read the paper, pushing his box of belongings away for a moment. The headline on the front page screamed:

 _ **BRUTAL SCENE IN DIAGON ALLEY**_

 _ **by Arnold Haggerty**_

 _A terrifying scene greeted the denizens of Diagon Alley this morning. As the details are too gruesome for the majority of our readers (for details of the scene, read the official redacted initial Auror report on p. 5), we will simply say that the body Peter Pettigrew, who was believed to be killed by Sirius Black on November 1, 1981, was found dead today, apparently the work of unknown vigilantes. It is said that undescribed evidence has reached the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and it might be instrumental in the freeing of Sirius Black, who is now believed to be innocent._

"That's from this morning's paper. They're also sending out a special evening edition announcing your release." She placed a simple plate of breakfast in front of him: toast with just a touch of butter, a sliced apple, and a glass of orange juice. "I thought you'd like something light to start."

As Sirius munched on his breakfast, which was heavenly after the gruel that they were served in Azkaban day after day, he contemplated everything about his life that he had to sort out.

"Don't think to hard Sirius, you'll hurt yourself," Andromeda joked. "Ted and I will help you get back on your feet; you can stay with us for as long as you need to."

"I have an apartment, it's in London. I can go there."

"We'll check it out and help you get it back into shape then. Is there anyone you'd like to contact before the news gets out?"

"Maybe Remus?" Sirius swallowed hard at the thought of the man who was now one of the two last Marauders. "But he probably doesn't want to see me."

"You never know. Invite him over for tea, and then maybe you can go see to your apartment. And see a healer, of course. You'll also have to make a trip to Gringotts. I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time at all."

It was then that Sirius jumped to his feet with a newly found urgency, before collapsing back into his chair. "Where's Harry?"

"Harry Potter? I've heard that he started at Hogwarts. I believe he just started his third year. Narcissa's son Draco is in the same year, but Slytherin. I believe Harry's in Gryffindor."

"What day is it?"

"September twelfth."

"When I can I see him?"

"Why? I know he's James son, but…"

"They didn't tell anyone because they didn't want to make me more of a target, with everyone thinking that I was they're secret keeper, but I'm Harry's godfather. I was going to take him, but after the whole mess with Peter, everything went to shite."

"I'll let Richard Abbott know at once; I hired him to take on your case. It's vital that we get Harry into your custody as soon as possible."

"What? Why?"

Andromeda sighed. "I take it that no one bothered to tell you while you were in the godforsaken hell hole. Your mother passed away six years ago. You are the last direct male descendant of the Black line, meaning that you're now, at least unofficially until you go to Gringotts and the Ministry, Lord Black."

Sirius response was, "Thank Merlin that that old hag's dead."

Andromeda laughed, gently swatted him on the shoulder, and found him a quill, ink, and parchment.

###

Remus was once again sitting at his kitchen table. He still couldn't believe that he had become a murderer the night before. Technically, he wasn't, as Snape had thrown the last and fatal vengeful blow, but he had still been there. His hands were far from clean, and he still couldn't get Peter's final, desperate blubbering out of his mind.

But then he spotted an owl, flying graceful towards his window.

He took the letter, the owl took his bacon, and he sat down to read.

 _Moony,_

 _I hope you're well and all of that. Since we're the last ones left, I wanted to let you know before the world went mad. New evidence came in, and it proved that I didn't kill Wormtail, and that I didn't betray Lily and James. I know it's been a long time, but I hope you can believe me, and forgive me for everything I said and did._

 _Yours in marauding,_

 _Padfoot_

 _P.S. Andy would like to have you over for tea today, which means that you should come._

Remus bowed his head and cried tears of relief. The blood on his hands was worth it.

###

All Harry wanted was to get through the day. It was just as bad as after the troll incident and the thing with Quirrell and the sorcerer's stone in his first year. People just wouldn't stop staring. And worst of all? He hadn't even _known_ this man had existed before now. Now one had ever told him the full story. Not even Hagrid when he had rescued him from the hut on the rock and given him his Hogwarts letter.

Hermione and Ron flanked him on the way to Transfiguration, shielding him as best as they could from the rumors and whispers that chased them through the corridors.

Finally, they were safely ensconced in McGonagall's classroom. The witch promptly said, "I don't want to hear a single word about this morning's news. Understood?"

After hearing enough affirmative responses, McGonagall started the lesson.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

A/N:You wanted Sirius and you've got him! Also, I'm not a fan of super gory stories, especially if it's just gore for gore's sake, so I decided not to write what Severus and Remus actually do to Peter Pettigrew in a lot of detail. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for the next!


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'Remus Lupin bared his teeth in an ugly parody of a smile, before responding in a deceptively calm voice, "May Merlin and Morgana have mercy on your soul."'

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

While Sirius was rejoicing in his freedom, Lord Marvolo Slytherin was contemplating his next move.

Voldemort had been effectively dormant for over a decade, and the wizarding world had seemed to simply accept that he had gone away, never to be heard of again. And that was true. Voldemort was gone.

But Slytherins were ambitious, and so he still had a mark to make on the world. His first order of business would be to officially claim his seats in the Wizengamot, if he had any, and publically rejoin wizarding society. After all, according to the records he had managed to modify in Ministry archives, thanks to a few Imperiused clerks, he was related to Salazar's younger son through the man's bastard daughter..

He had been raised in France by his magical mother, who had left her abusive, Muggle partner before realizing that she was pregnant. And after being absent from Britain for all of these years, he had returned intending to seek out any potential living relatives, only to discover that he was, in fact, the sole heir to one of the most powerful wizards in history. And, according to his new records, he was only in his forties, relatively young for a wizard, but not so young that the older members of society wouldn't respect him.

The story was airtight, especially since the goblins had allowed him to claim his title and holdings. After all, everyone knew that they weren't fans of imposters.

And so Lord Slytherin was ready to take on the political arena known as the Wizengamot, as he had been spending the past few years quietly gaining credibility in Europe. But first, he had to deal with some of the last vestiges of Voldemort's reign of terror, mainly the Death Eaters.

The worst of the worst, namely the Lestranges, were very much dealt with, and recently Wormtail had been disposed of by unidentified vigilantes, but there were still plenty out there baring his mark.

Avery. Snape. Rosier. Rowle. Mulciber. The Carrow siblings. Crabbe. Nott. Goyle. Dolohov. Gibbon. Selwynn. Karkaroff. Jugson. Macnair. Malfoy. Yaxley. Rookwood. And so many others.

And then there was Greyback to deal with, which was a whole different issue. While he had commanded the werewolf's respect as Voldemort, Fenrir held little regard for normal men.

He had some planning to do, so he sat behind the desk in the study of his newly refreshed home and began his arduous work.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'But what if Harry didn't even want to live with him? What if he was happy where he was now? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.'

A/N: I know this was super short, but I just couldn't let you forget about Voldemort…or Lord Slytherin as he's known now…


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'He had some planning to do, so he sat behind the desk in the study of his newly refreshed home and began his arduous work.'

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

One of the first things Sirius did, after a very thorough and mentally exhausting trip to a private healer, was head over to his flat in London for the first time in over a decade. Ironically, it wasn't too far from Grimmauld Place.

"You know," Remus remarked as he chucked another moldy item from the fridge into the bin, not that Sirius had had much food to begin with, "where are you planning to live with Harry? Not that this place isn't fine, but something a bit homier might be nice."

Sirius had bought his bachelor pad with some of the gold his Uncle Alphard had given him, so it wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't a home for a thirteen-year-old boy. Maybe if he took the posters of mostly naked women of the walls? That could work. But then there was the issue of having only one bedroom…

But what if Harry didn't even want to live with him? What if he was happy where he was now? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"But where else is there Moony? I don't even know what else I have. Andy's coming with me to Gringotts sometime soon, and she's not letting me go anywhere near the Ministry until her lawyer's filed the papers and set the lawsuit in motion. I think he's trying to get Crouch's head on a platter."

"Crouch's head should be on a platter. And there's always your parents' house."

"You're kidding, right? That place is an infested shit hole. And besides, I said when I was sixteen that I was never going back there. I meant it."

"Technically, it's probably yours though. And then it would pass onto Andy, then Narcissa, and then Draco. And I doubt that you want Andy to have to deal with it. Or for Lucius to get his hands on it. Especially the books."

"Oh, right. The library."

"I know, a room full of books. The thought must be incredibly traumatizing for you."

"I guess we'll have to sort out the more dangerous ones if Harry's going to be living there. And it'll take a lot of work. Merlin knows what kind of shape that place is in. Hopefully Kreacher died."

"Seriously, Sirius?"

"Seriously."

"What did I say that made you change your mind?"

"Oh, I thought you were talking about Kreacher being dead. Nasty little shit. But it's technically my family home. So I should take it. Make better memories there. Merlin knows the one's I have aren't that great. But all I keep thinking is that what if Harry's happy with the family he's living with? What if he doesn't want me? And besides, he's at Hogwarts, so he'd only be living with me a few months of the year.

"Well, a few months are better than nothing."

###

Sirius' appointment with Andy's, and his, lawyer ended up being two days later. Abbott, Mathers & Abernathy, was located fairly close to Diagon Alley. After their initial meeting, the small group, consisting of Andromeda, Sirius, Richard Abbott, and Remus, headed over to Gringotts.

They entered through the tall, goblin guarded doors, and Andromeda approached the counter. "Andromeda Vega Tonks, daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I am due to have wills re-read this afternoon, arranged on the behalf of the ascending head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Sirius Orion Black."

The goblin gestured for them to follow.

"I haven't heard the name 'Black' that many times in a _long_ time," Sirius whispered to Andy as the continued down the marble-clad corridor.

"Well, it's your name, so get used to throwing it around."

They were led to a room and were alone for less than a minute, before another goblin joined them.

"Lord Sirius, Lady Andromeda, welcome. We have granted you the re-reading of the wills of Dowager Lady Walburga Black, Lily Potter, and James Potter. First, I must verify your identities."

Drops of blood from their fingers into a bowl magically confirmed that they were who they said they were.

"First, the will of Dowager Lady Walburga Black. Let it be noted that the will was read two weeks from the date of death, as required by the Ministry of Magic."

 _I, Walburga Black, lady, widow, and daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black do solemnly swear that I am of sound mind, magic, and soul, and that this is my last will and testament._

Sirius snorted at the possibility of his mad mother being sound of mind, which earned him a look from their goblin host.

 _First, as I cannot prevent it, I will state that as the eldest surviving son of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Sirius Orion Black is to be the head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. He shall receive the title of Lord Black, along with any and all associated wealth and properties._

 _To Narcissa Capella Malfoy, formerly Black, daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, I leave 25,000 Galleons. To Draco Malfoy, son of Narcissa Malfoy, I leave 5,000 Galleons. To Andromeda Vega Tonks, formerly Black, the most shameful and dishonorable daughter ever to be known of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, I leave one Knut._

 _This ends my last will and testament, so mote it be._

"Let it be noted that all of the bequests have been honored," the goblin stated. "Now, the will of James Potter, followed by the will of Lily Potter. Let it be noted that these wills were also read two weeks from the date of death, as required by the Ministry of Magic."

 _I, James Potter, sole heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, do solemnly swear that I am of sound mind, magic, and soul, and that this is my last will and testament._

 _First , to Sirius Orion Black, heir apparent of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, I leave you 20,000 Galleons, not that you need it. Second, to Remus John Lupin, I leave you 50,000 Galleons to see to your needs. Your "furry little problem" shouldn't be a problem. I don't think it is. Stay furry, my friend. Third, to Peter Pettigrew, I leave 15,000 Galleons._

 _I leave all wealth and possessions not already bequeathed to my wife, Lily Potter. Should she die before me, I ask that the care of my son, Harry James Potter, be entrusted to either_

 _Lady Alice Longbottom or Sirius Orion Black until he is of age. My son is the sole heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, and shall also inherit any and all property, possessions, and wealth belonging to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter._

 _This ends my last will and testament, so mote it be. Mischief managed._

"Let it be noted that all bequests have been honored, with the exceptions of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. The bequest to Peter Pettigrew from James Potter shall not be recognized due to the presumed and then actual death of Peter Pettigrew. The bequest to Sirius Orion Black shall be recognized today."

Lily's will was next.

 _I, Lily Potter, formerly Evans, do solemnly swear that I am of sound mind, magic, and soul, and that this is my last will and testament._

 _First , to my friend, Remus John Lupin, I leave you all of my books, magical and Muggle for your enjoyment. Second, to Severus Snape, I leave you my forgiveness and an apology._

 _I leave all wealth possessions not already bequeathed to my husband, James Potter. Should he die before me, I ask that the care of my son, Harry James Potter, be entrusted to either Sirius Orion Black or Lady Alice Longbottom until he is of age. If neither of them is able, I ask that Harry be raised by a loving family that at least has knowledge of magic. Any arrangements regarding the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter shall be executed according to the last will and testament of my husband, James Potter._

 _This ends my last will and testament, so mote it be._

Once Sirius had calmed down enough to speak, they sorted out the matter of Sirius officially accepting the title Lord Black, along with the accompanying gold signet ring, which featured a skull, a sword, and a raven.

And then they went to see about Harry.

###

Although it was nearing the end of the day, their first priority was figuring out who was taking care of Harry when he wasn't at Hogwarts.

They made it to the Ministry of Magic just in time, before everything shut down for the day. They flooed to the atrium, and after they went through security, they went to the Department of Records.

"Remember, avoid speaking to anyone you know, especially anyone from the D.M.L.E.," Richard reminded his client. "I'm officially filing the complaint on Monday, but of course, everyone knows that it's coming."

After taking the elevator to the correct floor, they went to the right department and requested the file on Harry James Potter. They opened it and it read:

 _ **Harry James Potter**_

 _Born:_ St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

 _Birthdate: July 31_ , 1980

 _Mother:_ Lily Potter

 _Father_ : James Potter

 _Most Recent Known Residence:_ Hogwarts School of Witchcraft  &Wizardry, Scotland

And that was it. There was surprisingly little, considering the fact that he was the heir to one of England's most influential magical families. Then again, James hadn't flaunted his status.

"But we know he's at Hogwarts," Sirius groused.

Richard thanked the clerk and guided them back to the atrium and then back to his office. Once they were seated and had plenty of tea, he said, "All that means is that Harry isn't living in a magical neighborhood. For example, many Muggleborns have their most recent known residence listed as Hogwarts, as they live with their Muggle parents while they're not at school."

"Lily had a sister; I think her name was Petunia or something like that. Is it possible that Harry's living with her?" Remus deduced.

"That's most likely the case. Technically, it was perfectly legal for someone to give Harry to Petunia, so long as Sirius received custody after the will was read. The late Lady Alice wasn't an option for obvious, tragic reasons. Of course, it's not like the Ministry would follow up on these things, and it's not like the goblins are going to go pay someone a house visit."

After some legal paperwork and Sirius officially signing the documents to retain Richard's services for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, he, Remus, and Andromeda returned to the Tonks' home for dinner.

###

Ted Tonks certainly hadn't changed since the few times that Sirius had briefly met him. Loud and jovial, he greeted Sirius with a handshake and a clap on the back. When Sirius turned to meet Nymphadora, his jaw almost dropped at the hot pink hair.

"You're a Metamorphmagus!" he exclaimed. It was a surprise, considering that most people with the gift showed signs of it as a baby, while he had last seen Tonks when she was five, there was not even a hint that she was one.

"She was a late bloomer," Andy clarified. "Let's eat. And no, Nymphadora, please don't change your nose at the table."

"Mum _ **,**_ _please_ just call me Dora."

They sat down to eat the dinner of soup, roast chicken, and sautéed vegetables, and then Nym…err…Dora, cut in and said, "There's a rumor going around the Ministry that you're going to sue the entire D.M.L.E."

"Well, wouldn't that be something," Ted joked.

Andy glared at him and then looked at Sirius. Sirius sighed, but realized that it was time to finally put his Lord Black pants on. Not that he wasn't not wearing pants, or anything. "Nymphadora, as a daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, anything you hear is privileged and private. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she answered, her tone much meeker than when she made her bold statement before. "Got it."

"Good. Anyway, my lawyer does plan to enact a certain level of legal action against certain employees, former and current, of the Ministry of Magic. Other than that, I can't say anything else."

###

It didn't matter, because the news came out the next day, when Richard Abbott officially filed all of the paperwork.

 _ **MINISTRY BLASTED IN BLACK'S CASE**_

 _ **by Arnold Haggerty**_

 _Past and current members of the Ministry of Magic are shaking in their boots. Why? Because the newly ascended Lord Black is on the warpath and out for blood. That's right. Sirius Orion Black, former thought-to-be betrayer and Azkaban inmate is now Lord Sirius Orion Black, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Having retained the services of the well-known Abbott, Mathers & Abernathy, who are known for their high profile clients and even higher hourly-rate. Continued on page 4._

 **Page 4.**

 _The defendants, as listed according to the complaint filed against the Ministry of Magic by Richard Abbott of Abbott, Mathers & Abernathy:_

 _-_ _ **Crouch, Sr., Bartemius**_ _(Head - Department of International Magical Cooperation; former Head - Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

 _-_ _ **Fudge, Cornelius**_ _(Minister of Magic; former Junior Minister - Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes)_

 _-_ _ **Scrimgeour, Rufus**_ _(Head Auror - Department of Aurors & Hit Wizards)_

 _All have been contacted by the Ministry of Magic. As the complaint was filed on the behalf of a lord of a Noble and Most Ancient House, a hearing in front of the Wizengamot will be held at a later date._

"Wow," Ron said through a mouthful of sausages. "That's a pretty big deal."

"It's a huge deal," Hermione corrected him while simultaneously turning away so she didn't have to see his macerated breakfast. "A complaint against the Minister of Magic? This hearing could completely change the Ministry."

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'While the political and not-so-political planning was underway, much more important things were happening at Hogwarts. Quidditch tryouts.'


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'But what if Harry didn't even want to live with him? What if he was happy where he was now? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.'

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

The news of Sirius' complaint against the Ministry quickly faded away with a new announcement: a new lord was in town. Technically, a new lord was in Britain, more specifically England, and a special session of the Wizengamot was being held to formally swear him into his proper place, along with the new Lord Black. Of course, this threw wizarding high society into a tizzy.

At Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, Lucius Malfoy was doing something he did often - consulting his father's portrait, which hung in the private study of the current Lord Malfoy, a sanctum which no one else could enter without his permission.

"You say that the Wizengamot will be swearing in a new lord? I'm guessing you want my opinion on him."

"Yes, Father, I do."

"What is his family name?"

"Slytherin, which is why everyone's acting as if magical Britain has just turned upside down."

"Slytherin?" Abraxas, his portrait imbued with his memories, thought back to the boy who he had been allied with during his time at Hogwarts. Tom Riddle. He knew all about the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, and how Tom was the one behind the murder of the silly Muggleborn girl. But if Tom hadn't confided in Lucius, he clearly had a plan that was secret to all but him.

"Yes, Slytherin."

"Then you will do all you can to gain his confidence and respect," Abraxas instructed firmly. "I assume he's returning from a life abroad on the continent?"

"Yes, at least, that's people are saying. I have yet to hear it confirmed by a reputable source."

"Then he most likely has powerful allies outside of Britain, which means that you should most definitely become his ally. Do not embarrass our family."

"Yes, Father. The Wizengamot will also be swearing in Lord Black at the same session."

Abraxas' painted gaze sharpened instantly. "Lord Black? Is it Sirius?"

"Yes. The charges against him proved false and he was released from Azkaban."

"Then you shall do all you can to return to his good graces. I know you and he were on opposite sides of that silly war, and disliked each other even while you were in school. But your wife is a Black by blood, and will be expected to at least honor her former house."

"But Father…"

"If he does the same honor to the Black name that his father did, and his father before him, you will want to be in his favor."

###

At Hogwarts, the students were in an uproar.

"Now they're all going to act like bloody gits!" Ron exclaimed. "Not like they don't already."

Hermione had forced him and Harry to the library to look up Wizarding genealogy. "Honestly, Ron, you shouldn't say that."

"How do they know he's even real though? Couldn't he just be a fraud?"

"Like Lockhart?" Ron threw in.

"Gringotts does an inheritance test with blood anytime someone wants to claim a title that is associated with any wealth. Since the goblins are an impartial authority, the Wizengamot accepts their evidence as proof of a legitimate claim," Hermione said, paraphrasing the paragraph she had just read.

"And then what happens?" Harry asked.

Hermione scanned a few more lines. "They have to present themselves to the Wizengamot, except that's more of a formality now, and then they basically take an oath of sorts. That's it."

"So basically this Slytherin bloke's going to walk on in and everyone's just going to accept him? He's a bloody Slytherin!"

"Seriously? Ron, did you even read the paper? There's no record that he even went to Hogwarts. For all we know, he doesn't even care about the stigma his name has here."

###

In the headmaster's office, Dumbledore was pacing. How was this possible? A Lord Slytherin? Except for his single-minded vision, Tom had never been interested in politics. And why now? And who had helped him regain his strength?

###

At Sirius' apartment, as he had finally moved out of Andy's guest bedroom, Sirius examined himself in the mirror as he tried on his new Wizengamot robes. They were a deep plum color, and had a 'W' stitched in silver thread on the right side of the chest and the Black Family crest on the other. The fabric was heavy and hung to the floor, and he was already uncomfortable. He let Remus know.

"So that's the price of nobility. Glad I don't have to wear those. You know, you might want to get custody of Harry sooner rather than later. I'm pretty sure the Potter family has a seat and that's just a vote wasted."

"I talked to Andy about that. It's why we might wait until later. I don't want Harry thinking that I'm using him to get access to be the proxy to his set until he's seventeen. He doesn't even know me."

"Makes sense. So, are you ready to spend at least two to four hours in those lovely robes, Lord Black?"

###

While the political and not-so-political planning was underway, much more important things were happening at Hogwarts. Quidditch tryouts.

Oliver Wood had booked the pitch bright and early on a Saturday morning and assembled the current team. Angelina, Katie, and Alicia, the chasers, Fred and George, the beaters, and Harry were all present. Of course, they would be keeping their spots, but McGonagall was forcing Wood to assemble a reserve team, just in case anything happened to one of the starting seven.

One of the biggest surprises was that Ginny was among the group trying out, self-consciously gripping her borrowed, school-standard broom.

"Alright, line up!" Wood shouted over the chatter of the potential players. "Chasers there, beaters there, keepers there, and seekers there."

Once they had sorted themselves out, it looked like they had a decent number for all of the positions, except for seeker. There was only one girl standing where Wood had pointed. She was short and pixie-like, but held her broom with determination.

"Name and year?" Wood asked her.

"Victoria Frobisher, I'm a second year."

"Stand over there; we'll deal with you later." He jerked his head towards the bench. He turned back to the other hopefuls and barked, "In the air! Ten laps then touch down." He lifted his fingers to his both and let a piercing whistle fly.

After the warm up, Wood tested each position individually before organizing a series of scrimmages, telling the players on the team to watch those trying out and look for any weaknesses. After all, it was highly possible that these players would end up playing for Gryffindor once the older members of the team graduated.

"That blonde kid needs to work on his aim," Fred muttered as a wayward bludger rang off the goal posts and shot in the opposite direction. "A lot."

While the others were scrimmaging, Wood had Harry do basic flying exercises with Victoria.

By the time tryouts were over, all of the hopefuls were tired and sweaty, a few of them bloody. "Listen for your name; I'm not going to call it twice. When you here it step forward," Wood said. "Frobisher, Kirke, MacDonald, Sloper, Hooper, Weasley, Peakes. If I didn't call your name, piss off. If I did, welcome to the reserves."

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'They were no longer his.'


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'While the political and not-so-political planning was underway, much more important things were happening at Hogwarts. Quidditch tryouts.'

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Marvolo looked over the ritual he designed for the last time. For once and for all, he was ending any vestiges of Voldemort. The final step would be to perform the ritual that would banish the Dark Mark and make it uncast-able.

He double checked the potion that was shimmering away in the cauldron next to him before adding the final ingredient - two drops of acromantula venom. Obtaining the crucial substance had been a trial, to say the least. The dark green venom was viscous and thick, and the drops landed into the concoction with twin ' _plops_ '. After twenty-three-and-a-half stirs, it was ready.

He ladled the potion into an unbreakable beaker and carried it into the room he had prepared for the ritual. He had already painstakingly drawn every single line of the Dark mark in chalk on the stone floor. He now placed seven candles in a circle around it. He stood in the center of the circle and began chanting.

Once he finished the long chain of Latin words, he drained the beaker.

The pain was excruciating, and he could feel the bonds between him and every single marked and alive Death Eater break. But if it was excruciating for him, it would be worse for them.

Avery. Snape. Rosier. Rowle. Mulciber. The Carrow siblings. Crabbe. Nott. Goyle. Dolohov. Gibbon. Selwynn. Karkaroff. Jugson. Macnair. Malfoy. Yaxley. Rookwood. And more, of course.

They were no longer his.

###

Severus was about to turn into bed when he felt something he couldn't describe. It was as if someone was sawing off his arm and burning the remaining stump into nothingness. It was much worse than Voldemort's worst Cruciatus, and a thousand times worse than the time the Dark Mark was branded onto his skin.

He collapsed on the floor and let the pain take him.

He woke up several hours later, and he felt exhausted to the bone. His throat was raw and his hands sore and scraped from the stone floor. He grabbed his wand and managed to whisper, "Tempus." 3:08 A.M. Merlin, what the hell had just happened?

He finally checked the source of his pain, wondering if the graying mark had finally gone back to being an inky black, symbolizing that Voldemort was finally back and ready to resume his reign of terror. But no. The Mark was gone.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'After Severus left, Dumbledore took his time to ponder.'

A/N: Another (very) short interlude with our friend Marvolo. Don't forget to review! The next chapter is already written and will be coming out soon.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'They were no longer his.'

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

Severus was tempted to immediately rush to Albus' office, but he restrained himself. After rushing to the Dark Lord with Trelawney's partial prophesy, he didn't dare run headlong into anything. So he sat on the edge of his bed, and waited for his hands to stop shaking from the pain.

Then he summoned the bottle of Firewhiskey from his dresser and a glass from across the room and poured himself a drink.

And that he had a good, long, think, glancing at his left forearm every few minutes or so. It was actually gone. His arm hadn't looked that good since he was seventeen.

###

Meanwhile, in Malfoy Manor, Lucius Malfoy was having a similar situation, as his muffled agony had woken his wife. After all, she had been asleep next to him.

He initially tried to resist her well-practiced glare, but failed.

"My Mark," he finally rasped. "It's gone, it's actually gone. "

"What?!" Narcissa exclaimed. She had guessed that something was very, very wrong, given how Lucius had had a vice grip on his left forearm

"It's actually gone." He rolled up his pajama sleeve to show the only proof he needed - the pale, unblemished skin of his arm.

Narcissa swallowed a gasp. "Well, I guess you won't be needing the mask hidden in the compartment at the back of your wardrobe, will you?"

Lucius looked at her with a look of blank shock. "How did you know?"

"I'm your wife Lucius, and a daughter of the House of Black. Are you really that surprised that I know one of your biggest secrets? You never wanted the Dark Lord to return, but you knew that if he did, you would have to be ready to answer his call. I watched Regulus endure the same. The wait for that Mark to burn until you responded and rushed to his side. But now you're free. You will no longer live under the shadow of the shade that was Voldemort."

"We're all free, Narcissa. Never again will I bow to another lord."

###

After a long night of more thinking than sleeping, Severus finally decided to go to Dumbledore with his news. At breakfast the following morning, he spoke in a soft tone to the headmaster. "I must speak to you later, in your office. It's important."

Albus must have seen something in his eyes, as he simply nodded and said, "Of course, Severus."

After enduring a long day full of several dunderheaded Gryffindors, and even more dunderheaded Hufflepuffs, Severus was able to finally escape the dungeons and  
ascend the many steps to the headmaster's office.

"Ice mice," he said with a snort to the statue of a gargoyle that protected the entrance. The stone guardian slid aside and Snape stalked up the spiral stairs that lead to the headmaster's domain.

Before he could raise his hand to knock on the door, Albus called out, "Come in, Severus."

He pushed open the door and walked inside, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of the headmaster's desk.

"Lemon drop?"

Severus shook his head. He would never, in a thousand years, like the Muggle sweet. But Lily had; she had taken one every single time that the headmaster had offered one to her.

"It's gone."

"What do you mean?"

Severus unbuttoned the cuff and jerked up the left sleeve of his severe black robes. "The Mark... _his_ Mark, it's gone."

Albus' white eyebrows rose towards his hairline and his eyes instantly sharpened, zeroing in on the limb in question, which had formerly been branded with the serpentine mark of the Dark Lord. "What? How did this happen? Are you just telling me?"

"It happened last night, I thought it to be wiser to leave you to your sleep than disturb you in the middle of the night. The pain was...excruciating. As to how it happened, I have no idea of the cause."

"Are you sure that this isn't some kind of…"

Severus cut him off. "Diversion? Misdirection? That _Mark_ has been a part of me for nearly half my life. I'm quite certain that it's gone for good, and so is the Dark Lord."

And with that, he stood up from his seat and left.

###

After Severus left, Dumbledore took his time to ponder.

* * *

Don't forget to review, and in case you're curious, Sirius meets Harry is coming up next, so stay tuned!

Update, 5/25/2016: As of this 6 AM morning, I am currently laptop-less; it kicked the proverbial bucket. Terrible, I know. The upside is that my hard drive is safe, meaning that I haven't lost any of he chapters that have yet to be posted, but y'all will just have to wait a little while to (hopefully) enjoy them.


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _A/N_ : I finally have a new laptop! Enjoy the new chapter, and don't forget to review! And for even better news, Chapters 12 and 13 are also complete and about to be edited.

* * *

 _LAST TIME:_

'After Severus left, Dumbledore took his time to ponder.'

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

The special session of the Wizengamot came quickly. Normally the body only met four times per year, but this year was a clear anomaly. Sirius waited in a chamber off to the side. Technically, he was supposed to be meditating on the momentous vows to wizarding society he was about to make, but honestly, he thought it was just for the suspense. He ran a hand through his neatly trimmed hair and waited.

One room down, Marvolo was doing the same.

"This session of the Wizengamot has been called to order," Dumbledore announced loudly, as he was presiding over the session, as was his duty as the Supreme Mugwump. "Unless there are other orders of business to attend to, we shall commence with the reason why we are assembled here today. Lord Slytherin, Lord Black, you may join us."

The wooden doors to the two rooms swung open and both of the newly minted lords stepped out onto the main floor. As was protocol, Sirius allowed the more highly ranked wizard to proceed first.

"Present yourselves to the Wizengamot."

"I am Marvolo Slytherin, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Slytherin, descended from Salazar Slytherin though his youngest son."

"I am Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, descended from my father, and his father before him, and his father before him, all of whom sat as members of this prestigious body."

"Repeat the solemn vows of membership to this body after me," Dumbledore said. "I, as the proper and rightful holder of my family seat…"

""I, as the proper and rightful holder of my family seat…"

"…do promise to uphold the covenants and practices of this body."

"…do promise to uphold the covenants and practices of this body."

"And as a member of this body, shall do what is right and what is just."

"And as a member of this body, shall do what is right and what is just."

The oaths weren't magically binding; however, Sirius could tell that what he had just repeated was taken very seriously.

"You may now take your seats, Lord Slytherin and Lord Black."

The seats were organized by when the family joined the Wizengamot, resulting in the majority of the older families at the top and newer families at the bottom. Sirius ascended the stairs to his seat after Lord Slytherin, and found the chair in the top row with a silver nameplate that had 'BLACK' engraved upon it. Lord Slytherin's seat was in the same row, but much closer to the center.

James should be up there with him. But Sirius schooled his expression and hid his silent grief, listening as Dumbledore conducted them through a few more minor orders of business before ending the session and releasing them.

As much as Sirius wanted to leave and not rub elbows with the other members of the Wizengamot, Andy had him well trained. After all, as a new member, he would be expected to stay and "make connections".

He figured he would start with his closest compatriot. "Lord Slytherin, a word?"

The other lord turned and gave a short nod. "Lord Black. And of course, I would like a word as well."

"Certainly. Please, you first."

"I was actually wondering if you would be interested in meeting and discussing the justice system in Britain. After all, you've been on both sides of it."

Well, that wasn't what he was expecting. "Certainly. Shall I owl you to confirm a day?"

"That would be best. Now, I believe the masses are clamoring for our attention."

Sirius glanced down the stairs to see that in fact, some of the other lords and ladies sending subtle, and not-so-subtle, glances in their direction while milling around and having inane conversations.

Sirius mentally sighed when he spotted the bright blonde mane belonging to Lucius Malfoy. Technically, he was family by marriage, and so he should speak to him first. "Lord Malfoy," he said as he approached the man, whose seat was two rows below his own. After all the Malfoys were technically a foreign family, although they had roots in England going back a century or two.

"Lord Black. Welcome to the Wizengamot. I'm sure you'll do a fine job."

"I plan to do an excellent job, Lord Malfoy. How is your family?"

"Narcissa's doing excellently, as is Draco." It was clear that Narcissa had gotten her way in the 'naming the baby' department. "She wishes for you to come over for lunch. A family reunion."

"Then I trust Andromeda is invited as well?" Sirius asked lightly, knowing that the answer was most likely no. Lucius said nothing. "Then I will consider her _invitation_ , and respond at a later date."

He was about to move onto someone else when he heard Lucius greeting Lord Slytherin, but his attention was drawn away by Augusta Longbottom.

"Dowager Lady Longbottom, what a pleasure to see you again."

"I believe I told you at Lily and James' wedding that I had known you long enough for you to call me Lady Augusta at the very least. Since we are now peers, I believe Augusta would be suitable."

"Then I must insist that you call me Sirius."

"Excellent. Now, Sirius, I'm sure that you will get plenty of invitations over the next few days, but I must invite you to Longbottom Manor for lunch, or at least tea."

"Of course. It would be a pleasure. I will be there at my earliest convenience."

"And be sure to tell Andromeda. I believe she and I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Certainly. I'll make sure she receives word of your generous invitation as well."

After greeting and speaking with a few more people, his conversations getting shallower and shallower each time, Sirius was finally able to make his escape and head home.

###

Sure enough, he was inundated with letters and invitations. The following week, Remus arrived at his apartment to find Sirius stacking envelopes.

"What the hell?"

"Hey, Moony. Apparently I'm really popular now that I'm a lord and not a mass-murdering psychopath. I definitely didn't get this many invitations while I was in Azkaban."

"You probably didn't get any invitations in Azkaban. Want help?"

"Sure. The pile on the left is the one I'm going to read, the pile on the right is the one I'm going to torch."

Remus rolled his eyes but sat down on the couch. "You should at least reply. They probably don't want to see you either, but to not reply at all would be rude. Just write a properly proper and aloof response and everyone will be happy."

"Fine, if you're going to be so diplomatic, you can write them."

"That works for me. You know my handwriting is better than yours anyway."

"Hey! Mine's pretty good, too. If I try."

Remus got a start on replying to the unwanted letters while Sirius continued to sort the others. "So, when do you think you're going to meet Harry?"

"I actually talked to Minerva about that. She said that the first Gryffindor Quidditch game of the season's next weekend, so I plan to go and then meet Harry afterwards."

"He plays Quidditch?"

"Seeker. Youngest player in a century, he made the team as a first year. James would have thrown a party and Lily would have had a heart attack."

"I'd like to hear the story behind that. Have you sent him a letter, yet? I don't think he'd appreciate that kind of surprise."

"I'm trying, Moony. I just don't know what to say. And I really don't want to screw this up."

"Introducing yourself would be a good first step. Then tell him about his parents. It should get easier from there."

###

Harry woke up and realized that he was running late. Not too late, but he would be lucky if he managed to eat a full breakfast before Transfiguration that morning.

Realizing that Ron was already gone and probably enjoying his morning meal, Harry rushed to throw on his clothes, put his books in his bag, and get downstairs to the Great Hall. He threw himself onto the bench across from Ron and Hermione.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried, mate, you barely moved."

"Blame Wood, he's the one who had us up at the crack of dawn yesterday. Honestly, Ravenclaw isn't that good."

"But they have Chang," Ron replied, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the other house's table with the sausage speared on his fork. "Let's be honest, she's pretty good."

"Sure, whatever."

Harry helped himself to a couple pieces of toast and slathered them with marmalade.

"Sweet, mail's here."

Sure enough, owls were flying into the Great Hall. Thankfully, this time _The Daily Prophet_ didn't have anything exceptionally interesting to cover. Harry passed his paper to Ron, since the other boy mainly wanted it for the sports section.

Hedwig stopped by for a piece of bacon, but she didn't have anything for him. After all, who would he send letters to?

Ron was releasing his family's owl, Errol, of his burden when a rather large owl swooped in and landed next to Harry.

Ron almost dropped the sandwiches from his mother onto his plate. "Bloody hell, what is that thing?"

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "It's an owl, Ron. A great horned owl to be precise."

"How in Merlin's name do you know that?"

She flushed. "I did a lot of research when I found out that wizards used owls to send letters. This species in particular is native to the Americas, so they're fairly uncommon in Britain. Since they're imported, they're also fairly expensive. It looks like it's for you, Harry."

Harry glanced down at the owl's leg, and saw that, in fact, the envelope it was bearing had his name on it. He untied it and the owl took off with a few beats of its large wings.

He was about to open it when the bell rang, announcing that they had ten minutes to get to their first classes of the day.

After rushing to Transfiguration and taking their seats, Ron whispered to him, "Who do you think it's from?"

"Mr. Weasley!" Ron's head snapped up and his face got even paler than normal. "I trust your conversation with Mr. Potter is fascinating, but please, focus on the lesson at hand."

Ron knew to be quiet. After all, McGonagall had made it quite clear in the past that she had no qualms about taking points from her own house.

It wasn't until lunch that Harry had time to open the mysterious letter. He wiggled his finger in the gap in the envelope and popped open the wax seal. He took out the folded piece of parchment and read it.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _You've probably heard of me in the news already, but I'm Sirius Black. I was friends with your parents, when we were at Hogwarts and afterwards. This may come as a surprise to you, but your parents wanted me to take care of you should something happen to them. Obviously, I was unable to fulfill my duties, and for that, I apologize._

 _Professor McGonagall has informed me that you will be playing in the Quidditch game this Saturday, so I wish you the best of luck. If you like, we could meet afterwards? I would really like to get to know you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Sirius Orion Black_

 _Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_

"That's weird," Harry remarked.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked.

Harry passed her the letter and went back to eating his lunch. "He wants to meet me after the match on Saturday. Should I?"

"Harry!" Hermione sounded exasperated. "The lord of a noble and influential house wants to meet you! Of course you say yes! Did you not even read it? He was friends with your parents."

"My parents probably had a lot of friends."

"Just give him a chance. You never know what could happen."

###

Sirius let out a loud _whoop_ when he received Harry's response. Sure, the penmanship needed some work, but Harry had said yes!

"Really, Sirius?" Andy looked at him with amused eyes. They were currently sitting in her living room, going over the plans for the renovation of Grimmauld Place. The first things they had done were to take down the mounted house elf heads and dispose of Kreacher's decomposing body.

The ancient house elf had died some point after his mother had. Speaking of which, she had charmed her portrait to stick to the wall in the entrance way with a permanent sticking charm. The solution? They had removed the wall. And burned it.

"Harry said yes!" he exclaimed. "He wants to meet me."

"Wonderful, Sirius. Now can we please get back to the task at hand?"

"Andy, we've barely gotten rid of the doxies and you're asking me about wallpaper. Can't we just take a break?"

"Would you prefer to not have an acceptable home by the time you're expected to begin extending invitations? No? I didn't think so. Now, we've already narrowed it down to three, just pick one."

###

Saturday came faster than Harry was ready for. He woke up and made sure he had all of his Quidditch gear and his broom before heading down to breakfast.

"Eat up, Potter." Wood pushed an already full plate towards him as he sat down with the rest of the team. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"There's a rumor going around that Chang got hit by a bludger in practice this week, but I figure Davies just started it to get you to lower your guard. Remember to focus."

"Yep, got it."

After breakfast the team went down to the changing rooms and the reserve players went to the stands. Harry changed out of his school uniform and replaced it with his tan Quidditch pants, white undershirt, and red and gold team sweater. His shin pads, knee pads, and arm guards were next, followed by his robe. He slipped on his leather seeker's gloves, and then he was ready.

"Gather 'round!" Wood shouted. They met in the small area between the girls' and boys' changing rooms.

After Wood's standard pre-game speech, with plenty of mentions about 'pummeling the opposition', they shouldered their brooms and headed towards the tunnel.

"And here's Gryffindor!" Harry could hear Lee Jordan shout, his voice amplified by a spell. "Johnson, Spinnet, Bell, Weasley, Weasley, Wood, anddddd Potter!"

The team flew a lap around the stadium to the cheers of the students dressed in Gryffindors colors, and to the boos of the students rooting for Ravenclaw.

The players took their positions as Madam Hooch got ready to start the game. "Captains, shake hands."

Wood and Roger Davies, Ravenclaw's captain, had a short battle over whose grip was strongest before remounting their brooms. Wood returned to his place by the hoops while Davies lined up with his team's other two chasers.

With a blast of her whistle, Madam Hooch freed the golden snitch and the bludgers from their constraints, and then with a second _tweet,_ she launched the quaffle into the air and the game began.

Harry instantly pulled himself out of the melee and started trying to find the snitch. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Cho starting to follow him. Yep, Davies had definitely started that rumor, as she appeared perfectly fine.

"Ten points for Ravenclaw!"

Harry glanced down at the action below; Davies was definitely fast on a broom.

Within ten minutes, the score was 40-10 and Wood was already getting frustrated. "Time out!" he shouted at Madam Hooch.

"Time out, Gryffindor."

The team flew down to the pitch and stood in a huddle next to their bench. Harry could practically see the steam coming out of Oliver's ears.

"Chasers, I don't know what the fuck you think you're doing up there, but start running some bloody interference! Or, I don't know, steal the bloody Quaffle! Weasleys, both of you, start hitting those damn bludgers at Davies, I don't want him scoring another point. And you Potter - Chang's following you like there's no tomorrow, so shake her! So help me Merlin, if you lead her straight to the snitch, you'll be warming the bench until next year! Got it?"

"Got it," the team answered as a whole, just as Madam Hooch blew the whistle to announce the end of their two-minute long time out.

"Good, now get back in the bloody air!"

"And it looks like Gryffindor is back in action," Lee said, continuing his commentary. "I'm sure that those were some rousing words from Captain Oliver Wood."

In the area of the stands reserved for professors and guests, Sirius was seated next to Professor McGonagall.

"Hasn't changed a bit, has it," he said to his former teacher. "I remember when James was captain, he sure did whip the team into shape that year…" his voice trailed off.

"Yes, yes he did. Where do you plan to take Harry today?"

"The Three Broomsticks, most likely. They haven't had their first Hogsmeade visit of the year, right?"

Minerva hesitated. "No they haven't, but unfortunately, Harry's uncle refused to sign the form. Harry wouldn't tell me why, although I assume his uncle had some reason."

Sirius was incredulous. "He can't go to Hogsmeade? But that's basically half the fun of third year!"

"Please," Snape muttered from behind them. "I'm sure Potter's capable of discovering other ways to amuse himself for an afternoon."

It took all of the control Sirius had to not turn around and hex him. Today was about Harry.

Back in the air, Harry was still searching for the snitch, and Cho was still following him. He knew that he had to feint, but she had probably studied his moves enough to know his typical game plan. He checked the score. 80 to 50, in favor of Ravenclaw. The situation wasn't dire, but he knew that it would be better to catch the snitch sooner rather than later.

He drifted towards the Ravenclaw goal hoops and started to get ready to dive.

And then he saw a glint of gold. He glanced to his right and saw that Cho was still following him, her eyes firmly on his back.

He kept drifting towards the direction of the snitch, where it was flitting near the ground.

And then he dived.

"Has Potter seen the snitch?" he could hear Lee shout.

And kept diving.

"No, he's feinting, he's feinting!"

The snitch jerked to the left, near the ground, forcing Harry to kick off the grass in order to make a hair-raising hairpin turn.

"No, he's seen the snitch! POTTER'S SEEN THE SNITCH!"

The snitch suddenly switched directions, heading skywards, which incidentally, brought Harry straight into Cho's path.

"Ouch, that did not look fun."

By the time Harry had shaken it off, he had lost the snitch. But on the upside, Cho had too, and she was looking worse for the wear. Maybe the rumor was true.

Ten minutes later, the score was 110 to 100, still in favor of Ravenclaw.

"This is a tight game, folks! One of those seekers might want to catch the snitch sooner rather than later," Lee announced.

"No pressure or anything," Harry muttered to himself.

At least Cho had stopped following him.

And then he spotted it again, this time right above Gryffindor's goals. He was off like a shot.

"POTTER'S SEEN THE SNITCH! THEY'RE ALMOST NECK IN NECK!" Lee's commentary whistled past his ears as he flattened himself on his broom in pursuit of the tiny golden ball. He could feel Cho to his left.

Harry stretched out a gloved hand in the direction of the snitch. Cho was almost literally on his back. "POTTER'S REACHING! CHANG'S REACHING!"

The snitch took a sudden downward dive.

"BLOODY HELL THAT THING'S FAST - sorry Professor McGonagall - THAT THING'S FAST! IT'S CHANG! NO, IT'S POTTER!"

The snitch changed directions again, forcing them to veer right, both seekers' toes touching the grass.

Almost there.

He launched himself forward, almost propelling himself off his broom, and felt his fingers close around cold metal.

"IT'S POTTER! IT'S POTTER! POTTER'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH! 150 points for Gryffindor, Gryffindor wins, 270 to 130!"

Harry could practically feel the eruption from the stands the moment he caught the snitch. After all, it was the first match of the season.

The Weasley twins were the first to pile on top of him, followed by the Chasers.

"Oy, get off the seeker, we still need him for next time," Oliver warned them, but even he was grinning. "Solid catch, Potter. Next time, don't let her get so close."

"Will do."

The team started heading towards the changing rooms. Once he was showered and dressed, Harry shouldered his broom, met up with Ron and Hermione, and headed back up to the castle.

They were about to proceed up the main staircase, when Professor McGonagall called out to him. "Mr. Potter, your guest is here."

He noticed that standing next to her was a man in a red jumper and gray trousers with a black cloak thrown over the whole ensemble.

"I can take your broom up," Ron offered.

"Sure, thanks." Harry passed off his most prized possession and turned to meet his parents' old friend.

* * *

 _NEXT TIME:_

'"Lord Black, welcome to Slytherin Manor."'


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _ **A/N:**_ I decided to quit doing the 'Next Time' / 'Last Time' - I'm starting to think that it's unnecessary and it's holding me up on finishing more chapters since I keep going back and changing things. Of course, if you really, really, really miss it, I might reconsider, but otherwise, bye, bye extra words.

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

"When do you expect to be back, Sirius?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I'll have Harry back by dinner, at the latest," he responded. "Unless he wishes to come back sooner, of course."

Professor McGonagall nodded and left them alone.

"So…you're Lord Black."

Sirius barked out a laugh, but quickly reeled it in for Harry's benefit. "If your dad had heard you say that, he'd probably be rolling on the floor laughing right now. Please, call me Sirius. I was thinking that The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade would be nice for lunch; you must be hungry. We'll have to walk there."

"Sure."

They headed out the door and towards the main gate.

"That was a fantastic catch, by the way," Sirius commented, trying to get a conversation going. "Your dad played seeker on the side, but he was never that good."

"What position did he actually play?"

"Chaser, and he was captain our seventh year. Your mum was never a fan of it, but she started actually watching the game once they started dating."

"When did they start dating?"

"Halfway through sixth-year. I think we all started to grow up around then." He changed the subject. "Minerva, err, Professor McGonagall mentioned that you were the youngest seeker in a century. How'd that one happen?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Umm, well, in our first flying lesson, Neville fell off his broom and dropped his Remembrall. Madam Hooch took him to the hospital wing and Malfoy found it in the grass and said he was going to leave it in a tree. So I kind of followed him, so when he chucked it, I flew and caught it."

"Wait, so that was your first time flying?"

"Yeah. I thought for sure that Professor McGonagall was going to expel me, but she brought me straight to Wood and basically made him put me on the team. Not like it was hard to convince him."

"Well, I'm very proud of you Harry, and I'm sure your mum and dad would be too. Not just for making the team, let's be honest, Lily probably would have sent you a howler for a stunt like that, but also because you stood up for someone else. So by 'Malfoy' you mean Draco, Lucius' son, right?"

Harry made a face. "He's kind of a prat."

Sirius resisted the urge to groan. "Then let's hope he'll grow out of it soon," was the most diplomatic response he could settle for.

They reached Hogsmeade and Sirius guided Harry to The Three Broomsticks. He leaned over the bar, winked at Madam Rosmerta and said, "Table for two please."

"Well, if it isn't Sirius Black? Or I've heard that it's 'Lord Black' now. Look at you, all grown up. You know you can take any table you like; I'll be by in a minute."

Sirius steered Harry towards a booth near the back and they both took a seat.

"So, why did you actually want to meet me?" Harry asked. "My parents probably had a lot of friends, and you're the first to ever talk to me."

"Your parents did have a lot of friends, your mother especially. Everyone loved Lily; you couldn't help but smile when she was around. Unfortunately, a lot of them passed away in the war. A lot of bad things happened to really good people. Are you friends with Neville Longbottom?"

"Sort of. We got to know each other at the end of first-year and he sometimes helps me with Herbology."

"Gotcha. Well, his mother and yours were best friends. His parents were killed about a week after yours, by followers of Voldemort."

"The Lestranges and Crouch. I read about it in _The Rise and Fall of Dark Forces_ ; Hermione made me read it when she realized that I didn't know that there were books written about me."

"Well, Hermione is clearly very smart."

"She's in my year and she's a Gryffindor, too."

"Well, anyway, a lot of your parents' friends passed away during the war, including a lot of your classmates' relatives and parents. It affected a lot of families. Another good friend of your parents is Remus Lupin. He would like to meet you too, at some point. Only if you want to, of course."

"But why now?"

"Honestly, Harry, no one knew who you were living with, and Remus wasn't in the best position to look for you. Speaking of which, who are you living with?"

"My Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, and Dudley."

"I'm guessing you mean the Dursleys," Sirius stated with a frown. "Lily's sister's family."

"Yeah, that's them."

"I'm guessing that you're as fond of them as I am?"

"They're not that bad now. I think they're just glad that I'm not around year-round anymore. They don't really like magic."

"Is that why your uncle wouldn't sign your permission form for Hogsmeade? Professor McGonagall told me that you couldn't go."

"Something like that. He didn't really give a reason."

Rosmerta appeared by their table. "Something to drink?"

"Butterbeer for me. Harry, would you like some too?"

"Sure."

"Then two butterbeers." Rosmerta nodded and went back to the bar, and returned with two full mugs and two menus. "Just wave me over when you're ready to order."

"Thanks, Rosie."

With a playful roll of her eyes, Madame Rosmerta returned to her post.

Harry started intently studying his menu, but Sirius tried to get the conversation going again.

"I think we got a little off topic," he said, putting his menu down. He already knew what he wanted. "You wanted to why I'm the first person to want to meet you. You know how in my letter I mentioned that I was supposed to take care of you?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, legally, I'm your godfather, Harry. Technically, I could already have custody of you, but I thought it would only be fair to ask you what you wanted first."

Harry finally looked up from his menu.

"Would I have to go back to the Dursleys?"

"Not if you didn't want to. I'm currently working to refurbish my family's old house in London. You could decorate your room however you'd like, of course."

"Do you have any family?"

"Actually I do. There's my cousin Andromeda Tonks, and her husband Ted and her daughter Nymphadora, and there's the Malfoys."

Sirius wished he had thought to bring a camera, because Harry's jaw dropped. "You're related to Malfoy?" he exclaimed.

"I'm related to Lucius, Draco's father, through marriage because Draco's mother, Narcissa, is my cousin."

"Would I have to be nice to him?"

"In public yes, but feel free to hash out your differences all you like in private. Of course, you can't actually hurt each other. The Black family magic wouldn't allow it."

"But I'm not a Black."

"You are, just distantly. Your dad's mother, Dorea, was born a Black. However, if I took custody of you, that would also involve adopting you. Why don't we order and you can think about it while we eat?"

Sirius waved down Rosmerta. He ordered the shepherd's pie, while Harry asked for the fish and chips.

"Why would you have to adopt me?"

"Mostly for legal reasons. I don't have a direct heir, so adopting you would ensure that the direct Black family line doesn't die out once I'm gone. Otherwise, the next in line would be Draco. His and his father's heads don't need to get any bigger."

That got a laugh out of Harry.

"I think I'd like to. But can I think about it? Anyone would be better than the Dursleys."

Personally, Sirius could name plenty of people that would be worse guardians than a few Muggles, but he kept his mouth shut about that. "Remind me to ask about them later, but of course, take all the time you need to decide. I'm in no rush. So, favorite Quidditch team?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't really know. Ron likes the Cannons, but they never do well in the league."

"That's an understatement. They suck, period. We'll go to a few games and then you can decide. And yes, I plan to spoil you; I have more than a few birthdays and holidays to make up for."

Their food arrived, steaming hot, and they dug in.

"Slow down, Harry, it won't disappear on you." He took a breath before continuing, but knew that what he was going to say had to be said. "You know how the Blacks are traditionally a pureblood family?"

"Yeah, the Potters are, too. Or were, before my parents got married and had me."

"True, although these days, most sane people don't care about that. The weight and history behind the name matters more. What I'm trying to say is that if I officially adopt you, people will begin have certain expectations of you."

"Fine. Just as long as I don't have to become a pompous, blonde git."

Sirius laughed long and hard at that. After all, James had said something quite similar while they were students at Hogwarts.

###

"So, how was it?" Hermione asked him minutes after he climbed through the portrait hole that led to Gryffindor Tower.

"Better than I thought it would be. Sirius is pretty cool. We talked a lot about my parents."

"That's really nice. See, I told you that you should go. How was Hogsmeade?"

"Pretty great, but I didn't see much of it. We mostly just got lunch and talked. The Three Broomsticks has pretty decent food."

"Cool. Have you started the essay for Transfiguration?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you finished it already?"

###

Three days later, Harry was treated to a care package, courtesy of Andromeda Tonks, once again delivered by Sirius' rather large owl during breakfast.

The short message read: _'Dear Harry – your Aunt Andy (Andromeda Tonks) put together this care package for you. If you could send a short note to her, it would make her day. Don't forget to think about what we discussed during lunch, and I hope to see you at the next Quidditch match. Best, Sirius.'_

Harry spotted Ron eyeing the neatly packed box. "Want some fudge? Oh, and there are cookies, too."

"Honestly, it's only eight in the morning. You shouldn't be eating sweets now," Hermione chastised.

"Then it's good that our parents aren't dentists," Dean Thomas replied, taking a cookie that Harry had offered him and taking a large bite out of it.

"Who is that even from?" Hermione wondered out loud.

"Sirius' cousin. This is the first time anyone's sent me anything. It's a little strange."

"But my mum's sent you stuff," Ron said, gesturing with his fork in one hand and his square of fudge in the other.

"Ron, you have to understand. This is different. Harry's relatives never send him anything. Now he has someone pretty close to family. As amazing as your mum's cooking is, we should be happy for him."

###

His visit with Harry had been the highlight of his weekend, but now Sirius had to once again buckle down and go about the duties of a lord.

After going over a few more of the details for Grimmauld Place with Andromeda, Sirius went about his next duty: attending the meeting he and Lord Slytherin had arranged. He shouted the address into the floo and felt himself be whisked away.

He took a step forward, out of the fireplace and into an understated, elegant receiving room. Carved wood panels wrapped around the room, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"Lord Black, welcome to Slytherin Manor."

Well, Sirius never thought he'd hear those words addressed to him. "Thank you for having me, Lord Slytherin. Hopefully, this meeting shall be beneficial for both our houses."

"I hope so as well. Let us go to the drawing room. Would you like something to drink? Perhaps tea or coffee? I would offer whiskey, but it's most likely too early in the day for that."

"Coffee, please. No milk, one sugar."

He wasn't even surprised when they arrived in the drawing room and his caffeinated brew was waiting for him. House elves were great.

"So I believe you wanted my perspective on the current state of British wizarding law?"

"Yes, I do, considering that you are one of few to have been on either side of it. And you are one of almost none to have been released from a life sentence in Azkaban. Do you intend to nail Crouch to the wall with this one?"

"I thought that was obvious. My lawyers plan to crucify him to his own desk if necessary. Figuratively speaking, of course."

"Of course. So how do you feel towards how our government treats creatures such as werewolves?"

"With all due respect, Lord Slytherin, my best friend is a werewolf, so if you could refrain from referring to people as creatures in my presence, it would be greatly appreciated."

Marvolo inclined his head. "Of course. I meant no offense. I believe that we could do great work to get the various repressive pieces of legislation repealed, if we pursue this in the right way."

"I agree."

His hosted hefted a large book off the table next to him. Sirius recognized it instantly, considering he also had one at his apartment. It was the _Legibus Liber_ , or the Book of Laws. Lord Slytherin flipped to a page and said, "Currently, according to Glenbrook's Declaration of 1916, werewolves are not allowed to hold employment at Hogwarts or any 'place populated by a mass of wizarding kind.'

"Meaning Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, or Hogsmeade, if we're talking about the big ones. Members of the Wizengamot petitioned to repeal it in 1948, 1965, and 1971, but lost in the majority vote."

"So you're familiar with the legislation?"

"I am close friends with a man who happens to be a werewolf. So yes. The problem with the petitions is that no one offered a solution, apart from werewolf registration, which I think is abominable."

"Then we must think of one. I agree that this law is unjust and unfair. How do you feel about the trial system? After all, you experienced it."

"It works as long as one is considered innocent before they are considered guilty, which didn't happen in my case. Once my case is resolved, I plan to push for a review of all arrests and incarcerations between 1971 and 1981, including cases in which the accused received the Kiss."

"You're going to push for reparations."

"There was a lot of damage done by Voldemort, but the Ministry didn't help. Who knows how many other people are unjustly suffering in Azkaban? Or received the Kiss without being properly questioned? There's probably a wealth of information that went to waste because people like Bellatrix Lestrange were Kissed prior to even arriving at the Ministry."

"This will likely take a long time, then."

"Yes, but I believe it's worth it." Sirius glanced down at his watch, a gift from James' father for his seventeenth birthday. He and James had received identical ones. "My apologies, Lord Slytherin, but I must go. I am meeting my family for lunch at one o'clock."

"Of course, family comes first. And I insist that you address me as Marvolo. I believe will be seeing more of each other, in and out of the Wizengamot chambers."

"Then I insist that you address me as Sirius."

Marvolo got up to escort Sirius to the fireplace in the receiving room. After saying their farewells, Sirius took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the flames.

"Malfoy Manor!"


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

A/N: In terms of writing this fic, Chapter 16 is complete and Chapter 17 is almost done as well, which has me pretty excited considering the fact that I've been feeling very down and close to rock bottom the past few weeks. Sometimes I just want to be nothing and nowhere. But I am really starting to like this Harry.

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Sirius emerged out of a fireplace at Malfoy Manor. His hosts weren't there to greet him, but a house elf led him to the sun room, where lunch was laid out.

"Really, Narcissa? I believe your mother taught you better manners than to have your house elf meet your guests. Especially the lord of your house."

"Former house," Lucius corrected in a haughty tone. "I believe her name is Narcissa Malfoy,"

"Once a Black, always a Black. The only reason why I am here is the fact that you are family, and you know well enough that the smartest thing you could do would be to treat your lord with proper respect. After all, Lord Malfoy, I believe that the only reason why you your wealth is because my father loaned yours a substantial sum, which was invested in now several advantageous endeavors. Did you know, Narcissa, that the House of Malfoy owes the House of Black several hundred thousand galleons?"

Narcissa's blonde head whipped around to look at her husband. "Lucius?"

"You haven't paid it back because you were arrogant enough to believe that with me in prison, your son would be the next in line to the Black lordship, absolving your debts. You were arrogant enough to believe that being cleared of the crimes your committed with that damned mark on your arm made your invincible. And now you are arrogant enough to presume that I wouldn't come after you with the full weight of my family's name on my side. You, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, regardless of your aspirations, are no son of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and I'll be damned if I let you take advantage of my family."

Sirius' eyes were narrowed by the time he was done. Narcissa was still in her seat, but Lucius was trembling.

"How much are you owed?" was Narcissa's quiet question.

"According to Gringotts and including interest, exactly 458,227 galleons, 265 sickles, and 31 knuts. If I do not receive it in thirty days, your husband shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of wizarding law. Not to mention, the goblins don't like thieves."

Lucius paled at the implication.

"We will revisit the relationship between the Noble House of Malfoy and the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black once I receive my payment, in one way or another."

Sirius saw himself out.

###

Once he was done, he returned to his apartment. Remus was already there, and he asked, "How'd is go?"

"As well as could be expected. I don't think Narcissa knew about their situation though, which surprises me. If anything, the women in the Black family were expected to be somewhat independent. Probably why my mother ended up such a hag."

"Do you think he'll pay you?"

"Of course he will. It'll probably be a hit to his vaults, but Lucius would probably rather be less wealthy then lose all of the standing he's built up over the past decade, which would happen if I publicly sued him. He's the kind of person who prefers for things to go away."

"And how was your meeting with Lord Slytherin?"

"I didn't know what to expect, but we seem to be on the same political page, which is nice. By the way, this is for you." Sirius passed him a Gringotts receipt.

"Wait, why did you put two hundred galleons in my vault. It's not like I really need the money anymore."

"You probably haven't touched a penny of what Lily and James gave you, judging by your wardrobe. Besides, you earned this. Sorting through the ridiculous amount of mail I've been getting couldn't have been easy. And if you're up to it, I'd like to make this a regular thing."

"What?"

"You'll be my assistant. Deal with all of the stuff I don't want to deal with, like marriage proposals and interview requests from _Witch Weekly_."

"Haven't I done that before? Who knows how many girls I had to console in the wake of your romantic conquest of Hogwarts."

"So is that a yes?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Obviously it's a yes. But I won't take more than ten galleons an hour."

"What? At least fifty."

"No way. Twenty."

"Forty-five."

"Thirty,"

"Thirty-five. Please Moony?"

"Fine. Thirty-five galleons an hour." They shook on it, minus the spit that was usually involved in such an agreement when they were in school.

"So first things first, I need you to find me a Quidditch game to take Harry to. I'll get a schedule of his games from Minerva so we don't get tickets for when he has to play. Obviously on a weekend, and before you say anything, yes, you're coming too."

"Doesn't he have homework to do?"

It was Sirius' turn to roll his eyes. "Moony, it's Quidditch! And Harry's never been to a game outside of Hogwarts, so I told him that I would take him to one. And not the Cannons. They've lost their last three."

"So three tickets to a weekend game of a not-so-shitty team. I'm guessing you want the British League?"

"Of course I want the British League. International portkeys are a pain the ass."

"Got it. I'll just owl Minerva for you and get the schedule. See, I'm already doing my job."

"That's what I'm paying your for, Moony."

###

Narcissa was practically vibrating in rage. The only time she had been angrier was when he had taken the mark, and that was before they were married. "458,227 galleons, 265 sickles, and 31 knuts? What were you thinking?"

"Obviously, I wasn't. Look, I'll liquidate a few assets, and we might have to sell the villa in Monaco. It'll be fine."

"Fine? We're in debt to one of the most influential lords in Britain, who happens to be the lord of my family house and my cousin, and you think it's fine?"

"I'll resolve things as soon as possible. I promise."

"You promise a lot of things Lucius. How much to we have in our vault?"

Lucius sighed. "I'll go get the ledger."

"Meet me in _my_ study." As the lady of the house, Narcissa had her own study with a private parlor. It wasn't nearly as protected as the lord's study, but it was hers.

Lucius arrived five minutes later with the family ledger, which detailed their finances down to the knut. Narcissa was waiting for him, already seated at her oak desk with its matching chair.

They started looking over the ledger. "So currently, we owe about an eighth of our liquid assets," Narcissa said after looking over the numbers. "Are there other debts that you're not telling me about?" There was a section in the ledger for outstanding debts, but she decided to ask her husband first before turning the page.

"No, none. I made a point to not be indebted to anyone while _he_ was around."

Narcissa turned the proper page and allowed her shoulders to slump with relief. Lucius hasn't lied. There was only the debt owed to the Blacks, well Sirius, as he was the only person who carried the Black name left.

"Why did you want to sell the villa?"

"I'm worried about the cost of maintaining it. And perhaps we could negotiate with Black, I mean, Lord Black," he corrected himself, "and see if he would accept it as part of what we owe."

"Lucius, you need to drop your pride. We're past the point of negotiation. Now you're going to go to Gringotts as soon as possible and transfer what we owe to directly to the Black Vault. All of it."

Lucius thought back to the conversation with his father's portrait. Now he knew what he meant.

###

At Hogwarts, Harry was blissfully unaware of the family drama Sirius was dealing with. Instead, he was dealing with Snape. The man practically breathed over his and Ron's shoulders as they worked on their Shrinking Solutions.

At the end of their class, he vanished Harry's potion, as well as Neville's and assigned then a two-foot long essay instead, claiming that their potions were so poor that they had failed to complete that day's assignment.

"It's completely unfair," Hermione muttered as they headed to Gryffindor Tower before dinner. "You need to say something to McGonagall, or better yet, Dumbledore."

"Snape's a git, Hermione," Ron said. "Always has been, always will be."

"Fortuna major," Hermione said to the portrait of the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open to let them into the common room and Hermione continued. "Just because he's a git doesn't mean that he can keep picking on Harry!"

"Did you just call a professor a 'git'?" Harry asked with amusement in his voice as he flopped onto one of the squashy couches in front of the fireplace.

"He picks on you for absolutely no reason. He clearly needs to deal with his own problems if he has nothing better to do than pick on a few thirteen-year-old boys."

"Come on, you know he picks on our entire house. He's always had it out for Gryffindor. And Dumbledore's never done anything about it."

"Do you two not read?"

"Of course we read. Sometimes," Ron replied.

"Dumbledore's been at Hogwarts forever, since the 1920s. At this point he's taught or been headmaster for the past few generations. It's obvious that he has a soft spot for Snape and doesn't want to discipline him. Sure, it's a biased, but it's obviously justified."

"Justified? The only thing that would be justified would be if Snape got tossed out on his arse."

"The Headmaster probably isn't going to fire anyone. Now I'm going to start on my homework. Professor Babbling gave us a lot of work for Ancient Runes. Don't you two have Divination to do?"

Ron groaned. "Don't remind me. All Trelawney does is make bogus predictions and claim that Harry's going to die."

"Well who's fault is it that you're in that class. At least Care of Magical Creatures is going OK."

"He started us out with flobberworms," Harry said with a grimace. "I'd prefer anything over those."

Ron commented, "At least it's not a dragon."

Hermione shushed him. "I still can't believe that I let you get me caught up in that."

"But it was fun, wasn't it?"

"We could have been killed, or worse, expelled, so no, in hindsight, it was not _fun_."

Hermione snatched up her satchel and headed up to the girls' dormitories.

###

The next morning at breakfast, Hermione was still refusing to speak to Harry or Ron, choosing Neville's company over theirs.

###

At Sirius' apartment, Remus handed him a letter. "It's from Gringotts."

Sirius ripped it open, read it in grinned. "Malfoy just paid is debt in full. That was easy, and sooner than I expected. I'm guessing Narcissa knocked down his pride a few notches."

"She is pretty good at that."

"Isn't she supposed to be? She is a Black by blood, after all. I'm still waiting to hear from Minerva, but there is a Wasps game at home in a couple months. They're playing the Tornadoes, so it shouldn't be too crowded. And if you call in a favor with Ludo, you could probably meet a couple of the players afterwards."

"Harry would probably like that, but I'll ask. I'm thinking of stopping by for the first Hogsmeade visit, since he can't go into the village anyway."

"You mentioned that. Something about his uncle?"

"Dursley. Sounds like he's a piece of work."

"Lily thought so, too. She mentioned him and her sister a few times," Remus explained further. "Didn't like anything other than what was normal and boring, and I doubt that's changed."

"Do you think he hurt Harry?"

"How could anyone hurt Harry? Did you see that kid as a baby? He was a heart breaker before he could crawl."

###

On the weekend of the first Hogsmeade weekend, Harry was walking, albeit reluctantly to the main doors of the castle with Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

"Sure you don't want to try sneaking out?" Ron murmured to him.

"Nah, I don't want to risk it. You guys have fun, though."

His friends promised to get him something at Honeyduke's before getting in line with the rest of the students heading down to the wizarding village.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry whipped around to see Professor McGonagall hurrying towards him. "Thank goodness I caught you. Sirius Black contacted me yesterday about him stealing you away for another excursion, if you would like to join him. He can be here at half-past twelve."

"What? Why?"

Professor McGonagall closed the gap between them and said in a low voice. "He and your father were practically brothers. Just in between you and me, Mr. Potter, he seems to want to make up for past mistakes."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Sirius will meet you in the Gryffindor common room. Please be ready for his arrival."

Harry nodded and headed back up to Gryffindor Tower. Now, what to wear? He had gone down to the entrance hall in his Quidditch pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, having planned to fit in some flying before lunch at the castle, but who knew where he was going now.

Dudley's over-sized castoffs were certainly out of the question, and he really didn't want to wear his uniform on the weekend. He sighed and decided to wear the sweater Mrs. Weasley had given him last Christmas, as well as a pair of his gray uniform pants with his school shoes.

Just before 12:30, he went down to the common room to find that Sirius was already there, along with a guest.

"Hi, Harry. I'd like for you to meet a friend of mine. I mentioned him last time I saw you."

"Remus Lupin?" Harry guessed.

"Yep, that's me." Mr. Lupin had tired eyes but a gentle smile. His brown hair was speckled with gray. "It's nice to see you, Harry. It's been quite a while."

"Let me guess, I have my mother's eyes?" Harry deadpanned.

Lupin's gaze sharpened. "Where did you hear that?"

"Err...that's what everyone says when they meet me. That I look like my dad, but I have my mum's eyes. I didn't even know if it was true, but then Hagrid gave me this photo album for Christmas my first year."

"I know about the album," Lupin said. "I sent him some of the photos."

"Then why didn't you visit me?"

Remus looked to Sirius for help, and the other man shrugged his shoulders. After casting a silencing ward, Remus knelt down to Harry's height. "Believe me Harry, if I could have, I would have. But things are very complicated. Your father and mother were some of my best friends, and I would have taken you in a heartbeat. But, you see, I couldn't because…I'm a…werewolf."

Harry just looked at him. "So?"

"Your dad called it Moony's 'furry little problem'."

Remus sighed and dispelled the ward. "That's a relief. Not everyone acts to kindly towards, well, my kind."

"Why? You seem perfectly normal to me. And why did Sirius call you Moony?"

"Those were our nicknames," Sirius explained. "I'm Padfoot, Remus is Moony, your dad was Prongs, and…" He stopped abruptly.

"Sirius, we need to tell him."

"Was it Peter Pettigrew? I was reading about him; Hermione made me study your case since I was getting to know you. He was my parent's secret keeper and he betrayed them."

"He betrayed all of us, Harry. _He_ went by Wormtail. The nicknames were from our Animagus forms; we did the transformation to help out Moony every month. I'm a dog, your father was a stag, and _he_ was a _rat_."

"Oh, just like Professor McGonagall," Harry said, connecting the dots. "She's a cat."

"Let me guess, first day of class your first year?" Remus asked. "She did the same for us, but that was only a few years after she started teaching."

"Yeah, Ron and I got lost, so we were late. Kind of hard to forget."

"Sounds like something she would spring on a couple late first years. Come on, let's get going. We're going to Diagon Alley."

Harry's eyes widened. "We're going to Diagon Alley?"

"Yep. Lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, and then we can do whatever you want. We'll be taking the floo there. Have you used it before?"

"Yeah, I have."

Remus reminded him, "Make sure to enunciate. I'll go first and get us a table."

Remus went through the flames, then Harry, then Sirius. Five minutes later, they were seated at a booth towards the back of the pub. Sirius and Harry were having Butterbeer, while Remus had opted for water.

"Harry, are those your school trousers?" Remus asked.

"Umm, yeah. I have a pair of jeans, but they're ripped." And four sizes too big.

"A 'reparo' should do the trick. Lily used to always have to fix James' clothes after Quidditch practice, but he still practically needed a new wardrobe every year. She told him that it was so they didn't disgrace their house by walking around in rags, but it was secretly because she liked him. I know, she told me."

"That and the fact that I know James could fix his own clothes," Sirius said with a chuckle. "His mother drilled that into him for sure."

"How's school going, Harry?" Remus said, changing the course of the conversation before he or Sirius could get too sentimental.

"School's good. Hagrid's teaching Care of Magical Creatures and that's pretty fun. I kind of wish I hadn't signed up for Divination though; all Trelawney does is predict our deaths. I only really took it because it's supposed to be easy and Ron was taking it."

"That's not the best reason to be taking a class, Harry."

"And Remus would know. He was third in our year, behind Lily and Alice."

"What do you think you might be interested in instead?" Remus asked. "It isn't too late into the year, and you could easily petition Professor McGonagall to switch, especially if you find yourself a good tutor."

"Well, Hermione's taking Arithmacy, and I was fairly good at maths in primary school. Maybe she could tutor me. Wait, she can't. She's probably too busy."

Sirius said, "Hermione's one of Harry's housemates," providing Remus with a little more information.

"Why would she be too busy?"

"She's taking a lot of classes. She's Muggle Studies, but she thinks that it's a waste of time; Arithmacy, of course; Ancient Runes," Harry thought for a moment, trying to count on his fingers. "Oh, and Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. So basically everything."

"That sounds like a lot of work. But if you still want to switch courses, just say the word and I'll find you a tutor."

"Or I could tutor you. I did get top marks in Arithmacy, back in the day," Remus suggested.

"OK, I'll think about it."

They ordered their food and it arrived a few minutes later. Sirius and Remus ordered the steak and kidney pie, and Harry got the fish and chips. Again.

"You must really like fish and chips," Sirius said while digging into his own meal.

"And treacle tart. I can't really have it at home."

"Why?"

Harry glanced up. "Umm, Dudley's on a diet. His school nurse made it go on it, so Aunt Petunia has us all follow it over the holidays. She doesn't want Dudley to feel left out." That was one way to put it.

"So you like living with your Aunt?"

Harry shrugged. "It's OK."

Once Harry glanced back down at his plate, Remus shot Sirius a look, but didn't press the issue with Harry.

Once they finished their meal, they entered the alley. After stopping by Quality Quidditch Supplies and admiring the new Firebolt, and the new Nimbus 2003 that couldn't even begin to compete, it was time to get Harry back to Hogwarts.

They took the floo straight to Dumbledore's office, however, the man himself wasn't there. They said their goodbyes and then Remus and Sirius headed back.

###

Harry was working on his homework in the common room when the others got back from Hogsmeade.

"We got you some sugar quills from Honeyduke's," Ron said, passing him the bag. "Only three, I didn't have much pocket money." Harry knew that it had already been a stretch for him.

"Thanks, Ron. How was it?"

"Pretty cool, but it was pretty small. Three Broomsticks had pretty good food, though. Did you go flying?"

"Actually, I ended up not going. Sirius came and we ended up going to Diagon Alley instead."

"Oh, how was it?" Hermione asked.

"Pretty good. I me this friend Remus, we went to lunch and looked at Quidditch stuff. Heard more about my mum and dad."

"Great. Well I'm going to go to the library; I probably shouldn't have gone to Hogsmeade today, I have way too much work."

Hermione went up to the dorms to deposit her purchases, and was back down and gone before Harry could ask her about Arithmacy.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

After Transfiguration the following Monday, Harry went up to Professor McGonagall with a mission.

"Professor?"

Professor McGonagall looked from sorting their latest homework assignment. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"I was wondering if I could switch from Divination to Arithmacy. I know it's almost halfway until the holidays, but I'm starting to wish I hadn't taken it in the first place."

McGonagall started him down through her spectacles. "I was wondering when you would ask me about that, Mr. Potter. You didn't seem too…engaged in that subject. And actually, your mother asked the same thing in her year, except she wasn't to no longer take Muggle Studies."

"So I can do it?"

"In theory. You'll need to speak to Professor Vector as soon as possible, and you'll need to catch up on the work you've missed by the holidays. I'd recommend getting a tutor, but I doubt Miss Granger will have the time to help you."

"I know. Remus Lupin offered to help. It was actually his idea in the first place."

"Mr. Lupin is a very smart man, and he knows his Arithmacy. If you speak to him and Professor Vector and they agree on a study plan, I will approve the switch. And here's a note; I believe you're running late for Professor Snape's class."

Being late to Potions was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He ignored Snape's acerbic comments as he hunkered down and started his potion. He doubted he would actually finish it, since he was nearly ten minutes late.

"What were you talking to Professor McGonagall about?" Ron asked as he stirred the sludge-like concoction in his own cauldron.

"Just school." Harry hasn't even thought to thinking about Ron's reaction to him dropping Divination.

"Potter! Weasley! No talking; five points from Gryffindor. Each."

###

During lunch Harry went to the owlery to send Remus a note with Hedwig and then grabbed a sandwich on his way to his afternoon classes.

At the end of the day, he found Professor Vector in the Arithmacy classroom. Hermione bumped into him just as he was entering the room.

He did a double-take. "Hermione? Weren't you just in Herbology?"

She ignored him, rushing down the corridor.

He shook his head to clear it and entered the now empty room. "Professor Vector?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter? Professor McGonagall mentioned that you would be paying me a visit."

"I was wondering if I could switch into Arithmacy, from Divination. I heard that it's similar to maths, so I thought it might suit me better. I've already owled Remus Lupin about him tutoring me."

"I heard from my predecessor that he was an excellent student. Here, try these exercises. This is similar to what the other students in your year worked on last month." She handed him a piece of parchment and he took a seat in the first row of desks.

He pulled a quill and some ink out of his bag and started. It actually wasn't too difficult, although some of the questions stumped him. A half hour later, he handed her the assignment and asked, "How'd I do?"

The professor looked it over with a careful eye, making notes here and there with a quill dipped in red ink. "Surprisingly well, Mr. Potter. You're welcome to join this class. I'll let Professor McGonagall know, and I'll contact Mr. Lupin myself and tell him what material you need to catch up on. You should get your new timetable in the morning.

Harry thanked her and left, allowing himself to do a small fist pump in the empty corridor. Wait. Empty corridor?

He checked the time, and then sprinted to Gryffindor Tower when he realized that he was running late to Quidditch practice.

###

Andromeda asked, "Do you have any plans for Halloween?"

Sirius was enjoying a semi-regular dinner at the Tonks'. "Besides drinking my way to the bottom of a bottle of Ogden's? No, not really."

"Honestly, Sirius," Andy said. "I doubt your healer would be OK with that."

Ted chimed in. "And what about Harry? Surely he must be miserable too. And Remus. For once, you're not alone. Act like it."

"Thanks for that. Just the day my best friend got murdered."

"And Harry's father. And Remus' best friend. You can't think about yourself anymore."

"Why don't you go to Godric's Hallow for the day? It doesn't have to be morbid. You could make a day of it. Honestly, anything's probably better than leaving him at school for the feast."

###

Two mornings later at breakfast, McGonagall stopped by the Gryffindor table to give Harry his new class schedule. "Here you go, Mr. Potter. Professor Vector and I spoke to Mr. Lupin and he's agreed to come by every other Sunday for two hours."

"Thanks, Professor."

"You're very welcome, Mr. Potter."

She walked away and Hermione peered over Harry's shoulder. "You added Arithmacy? Why didn't you tell me? Do you need help revising?"

"I'll be fine, Hermione, you heard Professor McGonagall. And Remus is tutoring me, so that I can keep up. You have a lot on your plate and I didn't want to bother you with something else."

Hermione did seem fairly stressed recently, and it was barely two months into the school year. "Thanks Harry. I guess I have been a little crazy lately. Too bad we're not in the same class though, but it'll be nice for you to have it in the morning."

"Wait, what morning?" Ron asked. He was sitting across from them and looking at Harry like he had two heads for adding another class.

"Thursday; it's a double session."

"Wait, don't we have Divination then? How're you going to do both?"

"Actually, I dropped Divination," Harry admitted. "Professor McGonagall gave me permission to switch electives and Professor Vector allowed me into the class."

"When did this happen?"

"Monday. Remember, I was late to Quidditch practice?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. I guess I wanted you to do whatever you wanted to do. And it all happened pretty fast after I talked with McGonagall."

"But now I'm in Divination all by myself," Ron groaned.

"Isn't Seamus taking it?" Hermione asked. "Believe me, Ron, I think you'll survive."

Honestly, Harry was surprised Hermione was surviving. There were slight shadows under her eyes, and for the first time could remember, her tie was crooked and her uniform rumpled, almost as if she had slept in it.

###

Sirius sat comfortable in Richard Abbot's office, dressed in clothes befitting someone of his station. He wasn't Sirius right now; he was Lord Sirius Orion Black.

"So you think we should drop the charges against Fudge?" he asked his lawyer.

"He'll probably claim ignorance and beg for forgiveness." Sirius knew that for sure. Because of the charges, the man hadn't had any contact with him personally, but had pandered to anyone and everyone who might be friendly with Sirius, hoping to sway his opinion.

"Wonderful. And it would probably create a power vacuum, wouldn't it? If Fudge is found guilty of anything, there would probably be a vote of no confidence and then we'd have to elect a new Minister."

"Almost definitely."

"Then fine. Drop the charges against Fudge. I'll make a statement exonerating him and we'll settle outside of the courtroom, confidentially, of course. I think 2,000 galleons and half his shares in the Daily Prophet should suffice."

"Very well, I'll get in touch with his representation. He's using Cowell and Cowell, so I'll send them the details in the morning. As for Crouch and Scrimgeour, we should be able to nail them to the wall. Be prepared for people to look to you for their replacements."

"They can figure it out themselves. I'll just enjoy their massive falls from grace. What date is the hearing?"

"The twenty-sixth. Since he's going to be cleared of all charges, Fudge will be acting as the judge instead of his Senior Undersecretary. He'll be making the final decision on the judgement, acting on the recommendation of the Supreme Mugwump and the Wizengamot. For obvious reasons, you'll be acting as the plaintiff and not a member of the Wizengamot that day.

"Of course. Is that all?"

"We just need to discuss your capacity as a witness. If Fudge is feeling vindictive, which is very likely, then he will most likely demand that you be questioned under Veritaserum. Is there anything that I should know as your representation?"

"Not at all? Besides, the whole fiasco with Peter, I kept my nose clean. I was laying pretty low for the last year or so before they were killed."

"Good to know. Then I will meet with you before the hearing brief you on the questions that I plan to ask the defendants, as well as a list of topics that will be off limits."

"Very well, then. Thank you, Richard."

"A pleasure as always, Sirius."

Sirius left the building and headed to his next appointment, an intentionally public lunch with Lord Slytherin, or Marvolo, as he preferred to be called. The hostess at Bistro D'or led him to their indoor table, which was next to a large window that looked out over the alley.

He swore he saw a flashbulb go off.

"Apologies for my slight tardiness, Marvolo. My earlier meeting ran longer than planned." Which was probably good for Abbott, since he charged a ridiculous fee per hour, not like Sirius couldn't afford it.

"It's quite alright. I take it that you're preparing for the upcoming hearing? I received notice in the post this morning."

"Yes, I am. As always, there's plenty of planning to do. And yourself? How are you acclimating to Britain?"

"Very well. Now that I've settled in, everyone has been quite welcoming. I may have even received a few…proposals…however I believe I shall remain a bachelor for now."

"I sympathize with you."

A waitress stopped by and poured them water. Sirius took the opportunity to glance around the dining room. It definitely wasn't the kind of place his father would have conducted business in, which made him like it even more.

Once they ordered their food, and it arrived, artfully arranged on the black ceramic plates, the two men got down to business.

"Surely you know that I have a certain obligation to Hogwarts as Lord Slytherin," Marvolo stated.

"I assumed so. What are your plans for the future education of our precious youth?"

"Well, I have heard word that you've been meeting with your godson, one Mr. Harry Potter. How is he enjoying Hogwarts?"

"He seems quite happy. He's a typically thirteen-year-old boy; right now it's all about Quidditch and who knows what else. We haven't spent too much time talking in depth about his school work, but nothing seems too alarming. My hands are slightly tied, as I don't officially have guardianship of him yet."

Marvolo raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you'd be the first in line to protect the Potter scion."

"This is a personal matter, and I would prefer not to discuss it at the moment," Sirius replied, biting back a sharper response.

"Of course. My apologies, Sirius. I was merely surprised."

"He did mention that one of his friends was taking a concerning number of courses," Sirius said, leaning forward slightly. "My assistant, a Mr. Remus Lupin, thought about it and realized that it was physically impossible for her to attend all of her classes."

"So you have concluded that she's in the possession of a time turner?"

"Exactly."

"I'll ask Headmaster Dumbledore when I have a chance to visit, most likely after the hearing. If it's true, that's incredibly immoral. I'm considering conducting an audit of Hogwarts, with the assistance of the Board of Governors."

"That sounds appropriate. I actually don't know the last time that there was an audit."

"1961. Hogwarts was found to be satisfactory, but I'm not prepared to settle with _satisfactory_."

"I agree with you. There are certainly courses in need of an update. I'll send a letter, to Harry see if I can get his thoughts on a few things, if that would be helpful."

"Yes, it would be. Thank you."

They concluded their meal, and as they were leaving, Marvolo spotted a strange looking beetle flitting away. He could feel the magic from it. With a flick of his hand, the insect was trapped in his pocket. He bid goodbye to Sirius and went to the apparition point, heading straight home to the manor.

Upon arriving home, he headed straight for the parlor. He pulled the pest out of his pocket and dangled it by one leg.

"Aren't you an interesting specimen?" he said before tossing it to the floor. The beetle landed on its bag, its legs scrabbling uselessly at the air. " _Animagus revelare_!" There was a flash of bright blue light, and then he suddenly had a woman on his floor.

Tight blonde curls, lips as red as her nails, jeweled glasses. He knew who she was.

"Well, hello there, Miss Skeeter."

* * *

A/N: Woo, Chapter 14 is in the books! As a side note, I got a hilarious review on one of my older stories, _Born a Potter, Raised a Black_ (feel free to not read it - I wrote it in high school and it's terrible, and I barely remember the plot, which is why this review made me laugh). **[Warning: Language Ahead]** A lovely guest (a.k.a. anonymous reviewer) wrote: " **the way you give him the title is fucking disgusting, its really, really fucking bad. When you wrote that part didnt you stop and just think "thats terrible"? because wow...** " Aside from the lack of capitalization and apostrophes, which I personally find to be terrible (although I definitely won't claim to be perfect), this little note made my day, so thank you! If you'd like to have a dialogue about my stories, I'd love to be a part of it!


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Marvolo released the woman from the curse with a neat flick of his wand. "Let me make myself clear, Rita. I'm not the kind of man you want to threaten. People tend to get hurt when that happens. So for your own good, let's come to an agreement."

"Never," Rita hissed, seeming more feline than insect-like. Ruby red blood mingled with the color on her lips and stained her teeth.

"Then we'll do this my way."

"Imperio," Marvolo stated calmly. Skeeter's eyes went blank and her limbs went lax. "You will go home, clean up, and forget that we had this little conversation. Of course, you'll never consider writing something slanderous against Lord Slytherin again."

Then he oblivated her.

###

"Harry, look at this!" Hermione practically shoved the newspaper under his nose. There was a picture near the bottom of the second page. It was taken outside some fancy restaurant, and Harry could clearly see Sirius and Lord Slytherin having what seemed to be a friendly conversation.

"I told you so. Once dark, always dark."

Hermione instantly chastised him. "Ron, seriously? That's not my point. My point is that this could be a major political alliance in the making. Currently, they're the two newest lords in the Wizengamot, so it makes plenty of sense for them to be on the same page. And Lord Slytherin does hold major sway over Hogwarts. He just hasn't done anything, at least not yet."

"What could he do to Hogwarts?"

"With the Board of Governors backing, practically anything." Harry and Ron looked at her blankly. "Honestly, have you never read the Hogwarts Charter?" They shook their heads. "Ugh, boys."

"I read part of it," Neville said in his own defense. "My gran made me last summer. Just the parts about the formation of the houses though."

"You are all so useless," Hermione explained. "Do I need to spell it out for you? Lord Slytherin is currently the only Lord of a founder's house, meaning that he can basically make any changes that he can prove are for the wellbeing of the school. He can't change the house system, or alter anything the other founders put into place, or make changes to the castle itself, but anything else is fair game."

"Like what?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Say he decided that Quidditch was a waste of time and energy and had a detrimental effect on students' grades, he could suspend the Quidditch Cup until _certain people_ got their marks up and decided to quit relying on _other certain people_ for help!" Hermione jumped up from the bench and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"Who pissed in her porridge?" Dean asked. "Seemed like a pretty innocent question to me. We can't all me know-it-alls."

"Shut it, Dean. But I didn't mean anything by it. She just flipped out on me."

"Hermione's been doing that a lot lately. Do you think she's OK?"

Ron scoffed. "It's Hermione, of course she's OK. I think. She survived a troll two years ago, so anything in comparison can't be too bad."

###

That day in Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid had them gather next to his hut, where he had a stack of boxes with breathing holes. And the boxes were moving.

"What has Hagrid done now?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"Gather round," Hagrid said to the cluster of third-years. "These are Blast-Ended Skrewts." He picked up one of the boxes and took off the lid, and the whole group recoiled at the smell. Harry was one of the few brave enough to chance a look. Holding his sleeve over his nose, he glanced inside the box.

Laying there in a bed of straw and fluff , was, well, he didn't know. It was small, pale and slimy-looking, and smelled a bit, actually, a lot, like rotten fish.

"Aren't they great?" Hagrid asked with a grin. "You'll be raising one of 'em, in pairs. They don't move much jus' yet, but jus' wait an' see, they'll probably get bigger. For now, you can jus', um, observe them."

"Merlin, I hope not," Ron said as he and Harry took their box. They instantly put the lid back on and used the class time as an opportunity to relax in the grass before it got too cold to be outside.

Neville joined them. "Hermione went to go see Madam Pomfrey; she wasn't feeling well. It was probably the smell."

"I swear, it's almost as bad as the troll," Ron said, giving their boxed Skrewt a dirty look. "Two galleons say that Malfoy's going to go whining to his father by the end of the day."

Harry laughed. "No one smart would make that bet. We all know that he's going to. I just hope Hagrid doesn't get into trouble."

"You know he won't. He's practically Dumbledore's favorite. That's probably why he had him start teaching instead of bothering to hunt for a real professor at the last minute." According to the Weasley twins, the previous professor, Kettleburn, had had a nasty encounter with a boomslang just before the start of the school year. "Give him something to do besides whatever his actual job is."

"Well, I hope we're not stuck with these things for too long, I seriously can't stand the smell," Neville said, once it was time to finally head back to the castle. "Could you imagine being around those things every week?"

"Merlin, I hope not. Those things are disgusting," Dean commented. "Do you think Hagrid would notice if a few ended up in the lake?"

###

Hermione showed up again at dinner, looking a little tired. "How was the rest of Hagrid's class?" she asked, sitting down and helping herself to some chicken and peas.

"Pretty boring," Neville answered. "The Skrewts didn't do much."

"I figured. I just couldn't handle the smell. What was Hagrid even thinking?"

"Um, he wasn't?"

"Of course he wasn't. I went to the library to look them up, and it turns out that they don't exist. Hagrid has to have freaking _bred_ them. The closest creature I could find was the fire-crab, but those are protected and your need to apply for a permit to import or own one. It's very strictly regulated."

"So you're basically saying that Hagrid might get in trouble for having a creature that's not registered?"

"And he might also get in trouble for _breeding and possible endangering a specimen of a protected species_. And who even knows where he got it to begin with. It's pretty serious stuff."

"Are you going to tell him?" Ron asked.

"Even if I did, you know he wouldn't listen. Besides, aside from the smell, the Skrewts are harmless for now. Remind me to find a charm for that for next class so that we don't all suffocate."

###

"Hello, Narcissa." This time, Sirius was greeted by his cousin. "Lovely to see you. And how's Lucius?"

"He's well. He's waiting for us in the parlor; and Lord Slytherin shall be joining us shortly." She led him there, and the Malfoy lord stood to greet him.

"Lord Black. I apologize for my previous behavior and grievous errors."

Sirius wanted to roll his eyes. "We all know that you don't mean it, but let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?"

"I believe that that would be best Lord Black."

"Then I must insist that you call me Sirius. We are family, after all. And how is Draco? Harry mentioned that he was a 'prat' but I doubt that's what you think of him."

"By 'Harry', do you mean Harry Potter?"

"Obviously, yes, unless there's another Harry that I'm supposed to know. We've been getting to know each other recently, considering the fact that I was one of James best friends. I heard that he's beaten Draco at Quidditch. Several times, in fact."

"Draco's enjoying school," Narcissa said. "We will both see to helping him…adjust his attitude over the holiday. I presume that you would like to meet him?"

"Provided that he behaves, yes."

Narcissa nodded in understand. "Of course. Lord Slytherin should be here soon; I will be right back."

Sirius and Lucius sat in silence as a house elf served tea and a tray of biscuits and pastries appeared on the table. Narcissa returned to the room about five minutes later with the Slytherin lord in tow.

"Marvolo."

Sirius could see Lucius' raised eyebrows at the clear familiarity.

"Sirius; Lord Malfoy. I have spoken to Sirius about this previously, however, it has come to my attention that I have been unintentionally neglectful of my duties to Hogwarts as the only current claimant to one of the founder's seats on the Board of Governors, which now makes me the Chairman. So of course, I thought that nothing would be better than to differ to one of the Board of Governors' most knowledgeable members."

Sirius could practically feel Lucius preening from across the coffee table, and couldn't help but allow his lips to curl into a smirk.

"Of course. I take it you have a plan then?"

"Certainly, although your guidance would be most welcome. I believe the proper first step would be to assemble the board, and then assess the situation at Hogwarts. I have yet to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore, however, I plan to stay at the castle for at least three days. Speaking of which; would you be able to suggest a reputable assistant? I've been managing my own affairs, but I would welcome someone to handle the drudgery."

Lucius stepped in once again. "I don't know any names off the top of my head, but I can certainly get a list for you. I'm sure that there are plenty of competent wizards who would jump at the opportunity to work for you."

"I await your owl then, Lord Malfoy." Lucius bristled at the lack of familiarity that Marvolo had clearly shown with Sirius. "As for the meeting, I have reached out to Augusta Longbottom and she has provided me with plenty of information about Hogwarts prior to the past five years. I will owl the board with the date and time. Now, I should get going. Thank you for being such wonderful hosts."

And with that, he left, allowing Lucius to escort him back to the receiving room.

###

Lord Slytherin sent out letters to the members of the board the following morning – the meeting would be held in mid-November, allowing them to plan the evaluation of Hogwarts right before the winter holidays.

###

As Halloween day came closer and closer, Sirius decided that it was time to let Harry in on his plan.

 _'Harry, I was wondering if you would like to go on a trip with me on Halloween. I don't know if you've been to Godric's Hollow before, but if you would like, we could visit your parents – there graves are in the village cemetery. You don't have to if you don't want to, of course, but I thought it might be a little better than going to the feast. I've already asked Professor McGonagall for permission, so just let me know what you decide. – Sirius'_

"Maybe I should go," Harry wondered out loud, fingering the note while he and his friends worked on their homework in the common room.

"Go where?" Hermione asked, looking harried as usual.

"Sirius invited me to go to Godric's Hollow with him. I haven't been there before, so…"

"You haven't been there before?" Hermione asked. "But it's a huge place of importance in British wizarding history!"

"Who would have taken me? You _know_ about my aunt and uncle; they hate me," Harry hissed under his breath. "They told me that my dad was a drunk who got him and my mum killed in a car crash. Why the hell would they take me to see where they're buried?"

It was Harry's turn to storm up the stairs to the dormitory, where he started writing a reply to Sirius. Neville was up there as well, reading a book on his bed. "That time of year, am I right?"

"What?"

"You're not the only one whose parents got killed, you know," Neville said. "My parents died just after yours. My gran still takes it a lot harder than I do, but she doesn't want to pull me out of school, so she stays with my Uncle Algie for the weekend."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"It's fine. Honestly, and no offense, but I'm kind of glad to not be you. After all, I don't have to go to a big, happy feast on the day my parents died."

"Well, I'm not going this year. Sirius is taking me to Godric's Hollow next week."

"That's nice of him. Are you going to stay with him from now on? I know you don't like your aunt and uncle."

'That's not the half of it,' Harry thought to himself, but he played dumbed and said, "Huh?"

Neville blushed. "I shouldn't have said anything; that was rude. My gran told me not to ask, but I'm kind of curious. Is he going to adopt you?"

Harry crossed the room and sat in the chair next to Neville's bed, and he glanced at the door to make sure it was closed, "Look, you can't tell anybody, but he offered. I just don't know if I'm going to accept yet."

"You really should. If you were a Black, doors would open like crazy, even though they already do, since you're Harry Potter. And life would probably be a lot easier with a guardian in the magical world."

"So you think I should say yes?"

"You don't have to do anything you're not sure about, but yes, I would say yes."

###

But before Halloween came the Wizengamot hearing for Crouch and Scrimgeour. The two wizards each had their own representation, and would be judged separately for their actions. While they weren't facing outright criminal charges, it was clear, without a doubt, that an outcome not in their favor would ruin them.

Fudge banged his gavel to start the proceedings. "This hearing of the Wizengamot has now begun. This hearing is in regard to the actions of Bartemius Crouch, Sr. and Rufus Scrimgeour in regards to the arrest and incarceration of Lord Sirius Orion Black. Let us begin the proceedings."

Another bang of the gavel.

Sirius gestured to Fudge to get his attention.

"Lord Black, you have the floor."

"Thank you, Minister Fudge. I would like to thank everyone for their support now and in the future, and would like the body to note that while I am here to observe the outcome, as I am directly affected by these proceedings and set them in motion, I am abstaining from participating in my capacity as a voting member of the Wizengamot."

With that, he rose from his seat and proceeded down the steps to join his lawyer at their table in front of Fudge.

"Thank you, Lord Black. In the same vein, will the advocate for the complainant present their opening statement?"

Richard Abbott stood up from his seat at the table to the left of Fudge. "Lords and ladies of the Wizengamot, Chief Warlock Dumbledore, Minister Fudge; my client spent over a decade of his life in Azkaban, one of the most desolate and desperately depressing places in our world. And the two of men primarily responsible for it are directly to my right. Bartemius Crouch was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and it was his _job_ to ensure the fair and just pursuit of criminals across wizarding Britain. Rufus Scrimgeour was not only my client's direct superior, but his statements to the _Daily Prophet_ in November of 1981 were clearly nothing but lies and slander. They need to be held accountable for their actions or lack thereof in regards to my client."

"The body acknowledges your statement, Mr. Abbott. And do the representative for the defendants have a statement.

Rufus Scrimgeour's lawyer went first. His voice was thin and reedy. "My client has done nothing but his job. The statements made to the _Daily Prophet_ were reported inaccurately and did not and do not reflect my client's feelings towards Lord Black."

Crouch's representative was next. "Mr. Crouch was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during a violent war. Efficiency was crucial, and was authorized under the previous Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold. My client performed as well as could be expected under duress and extreme levels of demands by both the Minister of Magic and the general public."

"Thank you. Mr. Abbot, do you have any proof of your allegations to present?"

"Yes. First, my client has agreed to answer a set list of questions under the influence of Veritaserum, so I am requesting of the court that a standard dose be administered, followed by the antidote."

"The court acknowledges and grants your request."

Amelia Bones, the current head of the DMLE, approached Sirius with a vial, and after he walked to the chair provided for his testimony and a spell proved that the potion was Veritaserum, Sirius opened his mouth and allowed three drops to be placed under his tongue.

"Your name?"

"Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black." Amelia gave Abbott the go ahead with his questions.

"Lord Black, what occurred in the two hours prior to your arrest on November 2, 1981?"

"I was trying to find Peter Pettigrew. He had been Lily and James secret keeper. He told Voldemort where they were. I wanted to kill him," Sirius delivered in a monotone voice.

"And what happened immediately prior to your arrest on November 2, 1981?"

"I found Peter, but we were in a Muggle area. I was going to try and grab him so that I could side-along apparate him somewhere else but he saw me and started screaming his head off. He had the most…malicious look on his face. He started taunting me. He said that it was my fault; that I was the one who talked James into making him the secret keeper. And then he fired a blasting curse out of nowhere and then all I could see was the blood and the dust and then he was gone."

"What happened during your arrest on November 2, 1981?"

"I don't really remember. I know that Aurors were there, and I know that I saw Scrimgeour. Then there was just a lot of shouting and red light."

Almost everyone in the room turned their head to look at Scrimgeour's reaction.

Abbott continued with his questions. "What happened after your arrest on November 2, 1981?"

"I think I was in shock. I was at the Ministry for a bit, in the holding cells. But then one morning I was told that I was being taken to Azkaban."

"Were you told how long you would be held in the Ministry?"

"No."

"Were you told how long you would be held in Azkaban?"

"No."

"And were you given a time frame for or an approximate date on which you would receive a fair and proper trial, as required by law?"

"No."

"Minister Fudge, that is all. I would like to request the antidote for my client."

Moments later, Sirius was back to himself and back at his table with his lawyer. He didn't attempt to hide the slightly haggard look on his face that reliving his experience has caused. He had no qualms about catering to the sympathy vote.

Fudge then continued the proceedings. "Under Veritaserum, Lord Black has placed your client at the scene of his arrest, Mr. Boucher. Do you have a response?"

After a quick conference, Scrimgeour said, "Yes, I was at the scene of the arrest of Lord Black."

"And who performed the arrest?"

There was another quick conversation between Scrimgeour and his representative, and then he said, "First, I would like to request the full leniency of the assembled body, and I would like to tender my resignation as Head Auror."

This caused a furor in the room, causing Fudge to bang his gavel. Again. "Order in the chamber!" he demanded. "Mr. Scrimgeour, your request for leniency and your resignation have been acknowledged. Please continue."

Scrimgeour let out a sigh. "In June of 1981, my superior, Bartemius Crouch, Sr. issued a wartime 'stun on sight' order for all suspected Death Eaters, with the approval of the Minister of Magic. They were to be stunned, taken to a holding cell within the Ministry, and once they woke up, they were to be formally arrested on the relevant suspected charges. As a stipulation of the order, they had to be questioned within forty-eight hours of their waking, and then either released or charged with a crime. On November 2, 1981, Lord Black was never formally arrested. Nor was he questioned by the fourth, nor was he charged with a crime. He was moved to Azkaban on the eighth, the morning after Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch, Jr. attacked Frank and Alice Longbottom."

"There is no record of this within the Auror department files," Fudge stated. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"Because every time I tried to start a file for Lord Black, I encountered more red tape than I had for any other alleged criminal in my entire time at the Ministry. And after the Longbottom attack, it just sank lower and lower in the pile."

"So you are acknowledging your failings, Mr. Scrimgeour?"

"Acknowledging and apologizing for them, Minister. And I would like to personally apologize to Lord Black. My lack of action was inexcusable and I should have done more."

A lord in attendance asked gestured to Fudge for acknowledgement, which he received. "I move that we wait to pass judgement upon Mr. Scrimgeour until we have heard from Mr. Crouch."

"I second the motion," Dumbledore agreed.

"Then we shall move to the testimony of Bartemius Crouch, Sr. Mr. Crouch, Mr. Scrimgeour mentioned that you issued a 'stun on sight' order, with the approval of former Minister Bagnold. Is this true?"

"Yes."

"And what role did you play in the capture of Sirius Black?"

"They brought Black in; we all knew he was guilty. He practically confessed it at the scene! The only way I was going to make it to Minister was if I made it go away quickly and quietly."

Abbott stood up. "Let me remind the court that Mr. Crouch's son was arrested within the Ministry itself after his involvement in Death Eater activities and the torture and murder of Frank and Alice Longbottom, resulting in him receiving the Dementor's Kiss on December 18th, 1981."

"And let _me_ remind the court that my client played a key role in those trials, separating his duties from his personal difficulties."

"Didn't your client just state that he wanted my client to 'go away' so that he could become Minister of Magic following the vote of no confidence in former Minister Bagnold? If that doesn't show a lack of separation between is personal agenda and his duty, I don't know what does."

Mutters once again broke out around the chamber.

"Order, order! As the judge, I move that we hold a vote to proceed to the deliberation."

"Fudge is trying to save his own behind," Abbott leaned over and whispered into Sirius' ear. "The more Crouch talks, the bigger hole he digs for the whole Ministry."

After several lords volunteered to second the motion, it passed, and Sirius, Scrimgeour, and Crouch, as well as their representation, left the room, going to a series of smaller chambers off the main space.

Once they were alone and in silence, Sirius asked his lawyer, "So, what do you think?"

"Well, Scrimgeour practically handed them the sword, but Crouch will be tougher. I doubt that they'll serve time in Azkaban, but they're done in the Ministry. A hefty fine is the most likely outcome."

It wasn't long before they were all called back into the room.

"Chief Warlock Dumbledore and Director Bones, has the assembly reached a decision in regards to Mr. Crouch and Mr. Scrimgeour?"

"They have." Dumbledore passed a folded piece of parchment to Fudge.

"Mr. Scrimgeour and Mr. Crouch. In regards to your failure to ensure a fair and proper course of justice in the case of Lord Black, you both no longer have a place at the Ministry of Magic. Mr. Scrimgeour, your resignation has been considered and accepted. Mr. Crouch, you are henceforth terminated from your position within the Ministry of Magic. Following the conclusion of this hearing, you will each receive an Auror escort and clean out your respective work spaces, after which you may not enter the Ministry of Magic for a period of three months."

Here Fudge paused before continuing. "You will also each face a fine, which the Ministry will use as restitution in resolving the miscarriage of justice faced by Lord Black. The details of this fine will be communicated to you via owl and it must be paid within thirty days, otherwise a warrant will be put out for your arrest. This concludes this hearing. All are dismissed."

As people filed out of the room, Sirius heard someone murmur, "Can you believe one of those men could have been Minister one day?"

###

A few days after the hearing, Sirius arrived at Hogwarts early on Halloween morning, before the Great Hall opened for breakfast. Professor McGonagall escorted him to her office, where Sirius was waiting. He was dressed in blacks and grays, and his face was grim. "We'll floo to my flat, and then I'll side-along apparate you to Godric's Hollow after breakfast."

Sirius gave Harry his address and went first.

Harry spun out of the fireplace into a small sitting room. "Remus is recovering from the full moon; it was a few days ago, so he won't be joining us. Maybe next year, if this becomes a thing."

"That's fine. Is Remus OK?"

"He'll be fine. At least he didn't spend this one alone. I can't say that I'm great in the kitchen, but I have some toast and marmalade if that's alright."

"Do you have eggs?" Harry asked him.

Sirius let a guilty grin creep onto his face. "I think Remus bought some; he tries to make me eat real food when he can, but until I get some house elves, it'll be a bit of a bachelor lifestyle around here."

Harry was already heading towards the fridge. He opened it and found eggs, cheese, and sausages, and even a few bell peppers. "I can make omelets, or scrambled eggs."

"Wait, you can cook?"

"I cook for my aunt, uncle, and Dudley all the time. Well, until Dudley got put on his diet. Now we all have to eat grapefruit and crackers."

Harry found a knife and started chopping, and then he found a pan, got out the butter, and turned on the stove. Ten minutes later, he and Sirius were sitting in the stools at the kitchen counter digging into their hearty breakfasts.

Well, Harry was digging in. Sirius couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded, at the food his godson had just cooked. "Harry, how old were you when you started cooking for the Dursleys?"

"Sirius, it's fine."

"Harry, it is not _fine_. You are a _child_ , not a house elf. How old were you?"

"Five, I think?"

"How did you even reach the stove?"

"I had a stool. Aunt Petunia kept it under the sink."

Sirius let out a heavy sigh. "We'll talk about this later. Let's just finish eating so that we can get to Godric's Hollow early. The Muggles will be out later for trick-or-treating, so I'd rather get plenty of time out there while it's still quiet."

When they were done, Sirius put the dirty plates in the sink to deal with later before turning back to Harry.

"Have you ever side-along apparated before?"

Harry shook his head.

"Ok, then. Just hold onto my arm really tight; don't let go no matter what."

* * *

A/N: Happy August! I know this was a super long chapter, but so, so many things happened and the end was the to break the story between this and the next chapter. And, I'm almost done writing Chapter 20, so yay! Don't forget to review, I always reply (unless you're a guest).

Also, go check out my profile - there's a poll! Although this story isn't close to being done, I'd love some feedback on where I should go next once I've wrapped this one up.


	16. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

A/N: In case y'all forgot or didn't see it, the poll on my profile will be up until this story is closer to being over.

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Harry's feet hit the ground. Hard. "Is this Godric's Hollow?"

"Yep. It's not like Hogsmeade; half the population's wizarding and half the population's Muggle. There are spells in place to keep the two worlds separate, but there's a little overlap. Come on, the cemetery's this way."

They walked down the lane towards a wrought-iron fence, and passed through a kissing gate.

"Remus mentioned that their graves were over this way." Sirius steered Harry down the stone pathway and then onto the grass. Eventually they reached a large, white marble headstone, engraved with the birth dates and death dates of James and Lily Potter. "Take as long as you need; I'll be over here."

Sirius stood under a soon to be leafless tree a few meters away while Harry took a seat on the ground by his parents' headstone.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, his clambered to his feet and made his way over. Sirius wordlessly passed him a clean handkerchief.

"Don't you want, you know, a moment?"

"I'll come by later, on my own. Otherwise, we might be here awhile." But one thing that Sirius did do was pull out his want and conjure a wreath of white roses. Together, godfather and godson walked across the crunching fall leaves and laid the flowers on the grave.

"Would you like to see the cottage where it all…happened?"

"I'd like to."

"Come on, this way."

They left the graveyard and continued along the street. It was dotted with smaller cottages and some larger brick houses. Sirius knew the way better than the back of his hand, and felt his heart rising into his throat the closer they got.

"Oh…"

Sirius finally got the courage to look. Lily and James had called it their cottage, but it was more than that – it was actually rather large. It looked worse than it had that terrible, terrible night. The gate was now closed, but the front door was still hanging off its hinges, and the front garden was overgrown. Vines creeped across the stone façade and into one of the windows that had been shattered by spell fire. And the roof. There was a gaping hole, right above where Harry's nursery had been. Where Lily had been found.

"It's a memorial!?"

Sirius' head snapped up at Harry's outraged exclamation and saw the stone covered in graffiti, just to the side of the gate. "I'm sorry, I should have mentioned it. Remus warned me."

"So I can't even go in?" Now the teenage boy just sounded heartbroken.

"There's a ward around the property; no one can get past the fence. But I can speak to Fudge and see if we can get that taken down. I was reading old issues of the _Daily Prophet_ and Bagnold, the Minister before Fudge, the whole memorial thing was a last ditch effort to hold onto her spot in office. She tried to push for a statue too, but that fell through. But technically, it's yours, so if you want it, you can have it back."

"I want it."

"Then I'll set up a meeting with Fudge. He owes me a favor for dropping the charges against him anyway."

"Yeah, I read about the whole thing in _The Prophet_. So, um, is there anything else we can do today? And thanks for getting me out of the castle."

"Well, I was thinking we could get something to eat, and then go to the Muggle cinema. Lily took James and I just before we got out of Hogwarts, so I thought it might be a nice way to spend the day."

"Sounds good. I've never been."

"Really, you've never seen a movie?"

"I've seen a movie," Harry said in an exasperated tone as they walked away from the ruin of a house. "Normally whatever Dudley was watching on the telly."

"But you've never been to a theater? With popcorn or candy?"

"No, of course not."

Sirius felt his heart break a little. Even _he_ , from one of the most traditional pureblooded families in Britain, had been to a movie theater. "Then we'll fix that today. We can just go straight to my apartment; I'll shrink down some of my Muggle clothes down to your size."

Sirius side-along apparated Harry to his apartment and went straight to his bedroom. Harry followed him.

"I thought you said you were renovating your house?"

"Grimmauld? Yeah. It'll be done by Christmas, hopefully. Unfortunately, my family was fairly dark, so I had to personally take care of some of the nastier darker objects that my lovely mother left hidden around. Cleaning out the library alone took over two weeks."

"So, do you think I could come by."

"Of course. You don't need to ask about that. You're always welcome."

There was a pop outside the main room. Sirius whipped out his wand, but relaxed when Remus poked his head in. "Watch were you point that, Padfoot," he quipped. He turned to Harry. "How was today? Are you doing alright?"

Harry shrugged. "Fine as I can be. Sirius is going to see if I can get my mum and dad's house back."

"Sounds like a plan. I guess I just missed you. I was having morning tea with Bathilda."

"Oh, how is she?"

"A bit batty, but that's to be expected. To be honest, I'm amazed she'll still around. Has to be nearly as old as Dumbledore."

"Who?"

"Bathilda Bagshot," Remus supplied. "She wrote _The History of Magic_ , we used it back in our Hogwarts days and you probably still use it now."

"Yeah, we do."

"Well, she lives in Godric's Hollow. Down the lane from your parents. She's a character for sure, but she has some pretty great stories. And she's one of the few who've never shunned me for being a werewolf. What are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Something a little more fun, so I'm taking Harry to the Muggle cinema, since he's never been. Want to join us?"

"Sure. I'll go change. Does Harry need something to wear?"

"Yeah, I was going to shrink down something of mine for him."

"I'll take care of it; I'll just transfigure what he has on. We all know what happened the last time you tried to shrink clothing," Remus said with a smirk. "Stay still Harry."

He pulled out his wand, and with a few works and flicks of his wrist, Harry was now wearing a navy blue jumper, jeans, and trainers. "Cool, thanks."

"There's Butterbeer in the fridge; help yourself and we'll get changed."

Harry nodded and went to the small kitchen. Remus closed the door behind him. "He's never been to the movies."

Sirius cast a silencing charm at the door. "I know; I need to deal with the Dursleys."

"And have a long chat with whoever put him there."

"And meet with Marvolo about the new legislation I want to do for wizarding orphans and finish the work on Grimmauld and try to talk Harry into letting me adopt him. I know Moony; it's a long to do list."

"Just double checking. Now turn around so we can both change and head out."

Soon, they were on their way. Since Sirius' flat was in London, they just headed out the door and walked over.

A giant-sized popcorn and a stack of candy later, they were finding their seats in the semi-dark.

###

Nearly three hours later, Harry was still raving about the movie. It didn't help that he was hyped up on soda, licorice, chocolate-covered malt balls, and who knew what else.

"So where to now?"

"Well, we going to get lunch, but you're probably full. How about we drop by Andy's place and see if she'll have us for dinner. It's in a couple hours anyway."

Another apparition later, this time Remus took Harry, and they ended up in the back garden a pleasant-looking house in what seemed to be Muggle suburbia. Sirius noticed Harry's confused look. "Andy married a Muggleborn, so our family practically disowned her. This neighborhood has a few wizarding families, but it's mostly Muggle.

They came in the back door, into the kitchen, and Sirius shouted, "Andy, I'm home! With guests!"

Harry heard footsteps, and found himself faced with a woman with hair as dark as Sirius' and deep brown eyes. "You must be Harry. Thank you for keeping Sirius company today, I know he must appreciate it."

"Actually, he's the one keeping me company."

"Well, aren't you modest, Mr. Potter. I trust everything went well today?"

"Yeah. It was sad, but I'm glad I finally got a chance to go. And thanks for the care package you sent, I really liked it."

"That's good to hear. I'll make sure you get another one before the holidays. I take it you plan to stay for dinner? Nymphadora's starting her night training, so she won't be joining us, but Ted will be home in a few hours. Roast chicken alright? I'm also making a pumpkin pie."

"Sounds perfect Andy. We'll just make ourselves at home and stay out of your way."

Remus, Harry, and Sirius passed through the kitchen and settled down in the sitting room. There was a chessboard, already set up for playing.

"Harry, do you play chess?"

Harry looked up from where he was perusing the bookshelves next to the fireplace and said, "Not really. Ron tried to teach me wizard's chess, but he wasn't that great a teacher."

"Then come on, sit down. It'll be a good way to spend the afternoon. And this is the Muggle version, so it's a little gentler for a beginner. After all, the pieces can't mutiny if they don't trust you."

Harry sat down opposite him. "Sure, I'll try."

"So, do you know all of the piece."

"Yep, those are knights, those are the rooks, the ones in front are the pawns, then those are the bishops, and then the kind and queen."

"Right. And how to they all move?"

Once he was sure he knew the absolute basics, Remus started walking him through the game, pointing out the flaws in his strategy as they went along. Before Harry knew it, Andromeda was calling them into the kitchen for dinner.

"How long do you think it'll be before I can beat Ron?"

"It'll be a while. He's probably been playing since he was little, but if you get a lot of practice in, you'll get better in no time. And just between you and me, sometimes players who aren't challenged often enough get a little too confident in their abilities."

###

It was late when Sirius finally returned Harry to the castle, and Professor McGonagall escorted him back to the common room, as it was after lights out.

"Did you enjoy your day, Mr. Potter?"

"I did, thanks Professor. To be honest, I preferred it to being at Hogwarts."

"I'm glad to hear it. Your teachers will fill you in on the material you missed over the course of the week. Have a good night."

"You too."

Harry climbed the stairs to the third-year boys' dormitory and started changing into his pajamas. They were the standard one's Madame Malkin had recommended him back in first-year, but they were starting to get a little short in the leg.

"Harry, that you?" It was Neville.

"Yeah. Let's talk in the morning, OK?"

"Yeah, sure."

He heard Neville's hangings swish closed, and then he climbed into bed and closed his own.

###

"I hate having Potions first thing in the morning," Neville said as he cut up his French toast. "I swear Snape hates me more than you. How was yesterday by the way?"

"Better than I thought it would be. Really peaceful. And fun. We went to the Muggle movies, and then got dinner at Aunt Andy's house."

"My gran mentioned that she was the other 'white sheep' of the Black family. Is she nice?"

"The nicest. She promised another care package, so that should be coming soon. And if Sirius' house isn't ready by the holidays, she said I'm welcome to spend Christmas with her."

"That sounds cool. I'm glad yesterday wasn't completely awful."

"Me too."

Sooner rather than later it was time to go to Potions.

"Inside!" Snape snapped the moment he opened the door.

"Did something else crawl up his you-know-what and die?" Ron muttered.

"I heard that! Ten points from Gryffindor, Weasley!"

Without any other words, Snape revealed the potion for the day and growled at them, "Get started. Now." And then he sat down at his desk, grading assignments with his notoriously vicious-looking red quill.

Everyone, including the Slytherins, hustled to the supply closet to get the ingredients they needed before returning to their benches. The room was silent for almost an hour as their cauldrons bubbled and simmered away, before Snape stood up and started examine their work.

"Longbottom, you call this a potion? I call it a waste of ingredients. Congratulations, you've earned another zero for the day."

Harry managed to catch a glance of Neville's potion before Snape vanished it. Sure, it was closer to grass green than sunshine yellow, but it didn't look _terrible_. Apparently, he had said it out loud because Snape rounded on him next.

"Oh, are you a professor now, Potter? Have you gotten your mastery in potions?"

"No, sir," Harry gritted out.

"Just like your father. Arrogant and lazy. Thinking that you're just so much better than your betters. Five points from Gryffindor for assuming that you know more than your very much qualified instructor."

"My father was not lazy!"

"Your father, Potter, was an arrogant swine and I hope you remember that. Now get out of my classroom. And take Longbottom, the walking hazard, with you!"

Harry stood up and purposely slammed his textbook shut, leaving without a word.

Neville joined him in the corridor seconds later. "I swear fire was about to come out of his eyes. We have Care of Magical Creatures next, right?"

"Yep. Let's go."

"Don't let what he says get to you. Everyone knows it's not true."

"How am I supposed to know that? I never even knew him. All I have to go on is what everyone else says."

"So ask Sirius. He hasn't lied to you yet, has he? He'll probably know what Snape meant. Snape's probably just bitter."

The two boys left the castle and headed down the lawn towards Hagrid's hut.

###

"Ready to go to Wimbourne on Saturday?" Sirius asked Remus as his friend was taking care of some paperwork for him.

"I take it you got the tickets then?"

"Yep. Wasps versus the Tornadoes, and I've arranged for Harry to meet up with Ludo Bagman after the game so he could talk to a few of the players. Just for fun, maybe a get a few autographs. Then I was hoping to see if he might be willing to talk about the adoption."

"Sirius, you can't _bribe_ him."

"It's not bribery."

"Not to you, but Harry might see it that way. Just let him enjoy the game, and write to him after. Besides, at this rate, he'll have to play a lot of catch up in his work considering how often you're pulling him out on weekends."

"This will only be the fourth time, Moony, and the second he would have been out already because it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Really, I'm sure Harry will be fine. But if it makes you happier, I won't tell him about the tickets, I'll just ask if he wants to go eventually. Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

###

Harry and Neville were joined by their other classmates ten minutes later. Malfoy was in the lead, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, and he looked furious."

"What happened after we left?" Neville asked Dean once everyone was gathered and waiting for Hagrid.

"Malfoy tried to sabotage Ron's potion and Snape caught him. Took points from Slytherin _and_ assigned him detention."

"How many points?"

"Fifteen," Ron said. "Shocked everyone with that. Malfoy's just pissed because for once, Snape didn't treat him like Merlin's gift to potions."

"Ok, ev'ryone, gather 'round," Hagrid said, emerging from the tree line near his hut. "Oh, you're already gathered. This way, then."

Hagrid led them not into the forest, but to a clearing near the Black Lake.

"Are those hippogriffs?" Hermione exclaimed as the creatures tied to the trees came into view.

"Righ' you are, Hermione, five points to Gryffindor! Thought we'd try something a little different than the Skrewts today, 'til they get a little bigger."

"Those things get bigger?" Harry heard Seamus whisper to Dean.

"So who knows how to approach one of 'em?" Hagrid asked the group. "Hermione?"

"You have to bow to them while keeping eye contact. Hippogriffs are easily offended, so you have to always treat them politely. If they don't bow back, you have to back away slowly, without breaking eye contact. If they do bow back, you can approach them."

"Five points to Gryffindor. That's right. You gotta treat them with respect. Who wants to give it a try?" Without Harry realizing, the entire class behind him took one big step back. "Good on you Harry." Hagrid went to untie one of the beasts from a tree. "This one here's named Buckbeak."

Harry faced the large creature and looked straight into his amber-colored eyes. "So I bow now?"

"Yeah, you hafta bow. Slowly, from the waist. And keep lookin' a' him. Slow now, Harry."

Time seemed to slow down as Harry waited for Buckbeak to respond. It was almost like he was looking to his soul. And then finally, he bowed back, his right foreleg extending as his feathered head drew closer to the earth.

"Good on you, Harry. Now, stand up slow, just like on the way down. And don' break eye contact. That's it. Now come slowly. Stay 'way from his beak, that things sharp." Hagrid was holding on to Buckbeak's leather lead, just in case. "C'mon, he'll probably let you pet 'im now."

Harry lifted his hand slowly, never once breaking eye contact with the creature in front of them. And then slowly, but surely, he touched the feathers near his neck.

He almost jumped when he heard sharp clicking noises come from the hippogriff, but Hagrid reassured him. "Means he likes you. OK, who's next?" He freed a second hippogriff from another tree. "This one's called Witherwings."

Malfoy stepped forward with a swagger in his step and a sneer on his face.

"He's probably not dangerous at all, are you?"

When Witherwings reared back and started to spread his wings, Harry knew that this wouldn't end well.

Hagrid seemed to know as well because he gave a warning shout. "Malfoy, get back!"

The blonde boy did a poor job at following direction, because he followed up with, "You great, ugly brute. You probably–" Whatever insult he was going to say, he didn't get to finish because Harry had tackled him to the first, just out of the range of the hippogriff's razor sharp talons.

"Woah, woah, down boy, down." Hagrid managed to get himself in between the hippogriff and the boys and anchor it to the tree, followed by securing the screeching Buckbeak.

"Potter, what the fuck were you thinking? Get off me you bloody idiot." Draco started to push his way off the ground, but froze.

Harry followed his gaze, and saw droplets of blood quickly landing on his hand, which was resting on Draco's chest. His eyes followed the source and found a rip in his robes. "Hagrid, I think we have a problem here."

He barely heard the cacophony of voices as the other students, who had scattered at the first sign of danger, realized what had happened. He didn't hear Hagrid dismissing the class, and he certainly missed himself being picked up and carried back to the castle.

* * *

A/N: Yes, Draco's dialogue is partially borrowed from the _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ movie.


	17. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

Harry woke up to the smell of antiseptic, much like the infirmary at his Muggle primary school and the hospital wing at Hogwarts, but this room seemed brighter, and as far as he could tell without his glasses, the walls weren't made of stone.

"Mr. Potter, are you awake?"

He let out a groan.

"Here, let me help you sit up and then I'll get your glasses for you."

Harry opened his eyes a little more and managed to see a man dressed in a mint green outfit, not unlike Muggles scrubs. "Who're you?"

"Healer Michael Ward, Assistant Chief Healer of the Creature-Induced Injuries Ward of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries." Harry felt half the bed tilting forward from underneath his back and then a pair of hands helped his glasses onto his face. "Are you in any pain?"

"Not really."

"Good, then we'll hold off any additional potions for now. Do you remember what happened?"

It only took a moment for him to think. "I pushed Malfoy out of the hippogriff's way."

"Good. We didn't think there were any head injuries, but I just wanted to make sure. You can never know with these things, and you lost a significant amount of blood."

"I lost a lot of blood?"

"You weren't bleeding to death, but the time you arrived here, your situation was closer to dire than we would have liked. Let's take a look at your bandages, I'll probably need to change them and clean the wounds, so this might hurt."

As the healer rearranged the hospital gown around his right shoulder, Harry found himself wishing for the striped pajamas Madame Pomfrey normally transfigured a patient's clothes into.

"That thing cut pretty deep in a few places, this will take a little time." After donning gloves, the healer steered a cart with a series of potions and several stacks of bandages closer to the bed. "Deep breaths, Mr. Potter."

"Harry's fine."

"Harry it is then. Just try to relax."

The Healer filled him in as he worked. "Luckily we haven't had any signs of infection yet, which is surprising. It might be because your magic still isn't fully trained, so it could be a natural physical response. Madam Pomfrey will monitor you once you're back at school."

"When can I go back?"

"You'll be here for at least the next few days. And you have quite a few people waiting to talk you. Lord Black has been on call for the past two days to see you, so he should be here shortly."

"How long was I out?"

"You were in and out of consciousness before you were transferred here, but after we treated you, we made the call to put you in a magical coma for a couple days. We took you off the medication a little under four hours ago, so it was just a matter of time until you woke up."

The healer continued to work on Harry's arm.

"Can I look?"

"Only if you want to, Harry. Your injuries were rather extensive. Sit up a little, off the bed, please." Harry shifted, and that's when he felt the pain. Seeing his wince and feeling his flinch, the healer said, "I'll get you a pain potion as soon as I'm done, but we'll need to start weening you off them before you go back to school."

By the time the healer was done, Harry was wiping away the dampness from his eyes with the back of his good hand.

"You can look now, if you still want to, before I put the bandages on."

"Um, no thanks. I'll look later."

"Very well then. I'm almost done." By the time Healer Ward was finished, the bandages on the cart were depleted and Harry's arm was secure against his chest by way of a fabric sling. "And here's your potion."

He passed Harry a glass cup with white markings up the side. The potion within it was a murky blue.

"I'll send Lord Black in shortly, and then a nurse will be by with your lunch. Or dinner actually. It's just past five." The healer removed his gloves and rolled the cart out the door, closing it after he left.

Moments later, there was a knock, followed by a nurse peeking her head in the door. "Lord Black is here to see you, Mr. Potter. May he come in?"

"Yeah, he can."

She retreated, and then Sirius swept into the room with all of the authority a typical pureblooded lord possessed. "Harry, how are you?"

"Been better. My arm was hurting but the healer just gave me a potion for it."

"Good to hear. Healer Ward's one of the best. I made sure you got someone who knows what he's doing and won't blab to the press."

"Huh?"

"Harry, you're the Boy-Who-Lived and people just seem to be realizing that you're also the Potter heir. The whole story made the front page, so everything is a bit of a mess at Hogwarts for now. I actually just finished a late meeting with Lord Slytherin about the inquiry."

"What inquiry?"

Sirius looked at him. "I'll explain later; I don't want to upset you. Just focus on getting better so you won't be too far behind in school once you get back. Remus is already making a schedule to tutor you over the holidays, since now it's looking like you'll need a little help in everything."

"No, tell me. What's going on?"

"Please, Harry, you need to calm down. I'll come by in the morning and explain everything, I promise. I was thinking we could find a Quidditch game to go to over the holidays, maybe on Boxing Day. How does that sound?"

"You're trying to distract me. Just tell me what's happening!"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and flopped into the padded visitor's chair to the side of the bed. "You may look like your dad, but you got Lily's stubbornness. I'll tell you while you eat, just as long as you promise to not get upset, because if you do, I'll get kicked out faster than you can catch a snitch."

"I won't. Or I'll try not to."

"Good." Sirius got up and poked his head outside. He must have spoken to someone because the same nurse from before entered with a tray that had a metal lid. The grooves on the underside of the tray clipped onto the railings on the bed and once everything was in place, she left.

Sirius lifted the lid for him and said, "Bon appetite."

"Ugh, what is that?"

"Looks like chicken to me, but you can never be sure these days. Believe me, the regular food is way worse, but I pulled some strings. That's another thing I need to talk to you about, actually."

"What strings?"

"Want to hear about that first, or Hogwarts?"

Harry thought for a moment before saying, "Hogwarts."

"Ok then. Eat your dinner and I'll tell you. So, what's the last thing you remember?"

"A massive feathered thing coming towards me."

"Then I'll start from the beginning. So, after Hagrid brought you back up to the castle. Madame Pomfrey stabilized you and got you transferred here as soon as she could. Minerva got in touch with me once you were settled here and I came straight over. Once everything calmed down here, I received an owl from Lord Slytherin."

"He has influence at Hogwarts, right?"

"Right. As whenever there's an incident regarding a magical creature, there's supposed to be an inquiry performed by the Board of Governors, but since Lord Slytherin is taking his position on the board, he is launching a full-scale assessment of Hogwarts. Literally everything. The teachers, the classes, and if it happens or has happened within those walls, he's looking into it."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, whoa. So we were meeting to talk about it. He's already taken action in a few respects. First of all, Hagrid's been suspended."

"What?!"

"Harry, calm down," Sirius hissed. "Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

"Obviously, but why? He basically saved my life!"

"And I thanked him for it, but the Board of Governors has found him at fault for what happened. I know hippogriffs are cool and all, but they're classified as a Level XXX creatures for a reason. Sure, maybe sixth or seventh years could handle them, and maybe even some fifth-years, but a bunch of thirteen-year-olds have no reason to be that close to them. And since he doesn't have a wand, he wasn't able to perform immediate first-aid like another professor would have been."

"But they can't do that!"

"They very much can. I know, it sucks. I like Hagrid just as much as you do, and he doesn't have it in him to hurt a fly. But he's a little too creature happy, and you know it. Plus, now he's in trouble with the Ministry for those Blast-Ended-thingies."

"The Skrewts? Ugly, kind of small, smell like crap?"

"Sounds about right, but they're about the size of a small dog now."

"Shit."

"Yeah, shit. Just don't let Remus hear you cursing. Anyway, Dumbledore's basically the only reason why Hagrid hasn't been arrested yet, but they're talking to everyone who was taking his classes. Lord Slytherin will probably want to speak to you at some point, but not until you're back at school."

"Do I have to?"

"I wish you didn't, but you do."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yeah. You saved Draco Malfoy's life. Once you too are both seventeen, he'll owe you a life debt, which is quite a nice position to be in."

"How does a life debt work?" Harry asked.

"You can basically call in a favor at any time, no matter how what it is. You could have him do something as simple as vote in favor of a piece of legislation you want to pass in the Wizengamot, or you could have him give up all of his wealth. Or his first born child. If you demand it, he either has to fulfill it, or his magic will slowly kill him. It's quite a precarious position to be in, especially considering how much you two dislike each other."

"He's probably regretting it now, huh?"

"Probably. You can expect an invitation over to Malfoy Manor for the holidays, as a courtesy. But they are family, which you should consider as well. And I know that it's hard but you can't talk about this with any of your friends – it's considered bad manners."

"Got it. Will you be there?"

"Of course I'll be there. No way I'd let you go to their house unescorted. Besides, that would be improper anyway."

"Thanks." Harry shoveled the rest of his chicken, or whatever the pale protein on his plate was, into his mouth, dropping some on the tray as he was using his weak hand. "So that was Hogwarts, you were also going to tell me what strings you pulled."

"Oh, right. Yeah. So, about that. Because of what happened, and because the whole Ministry's afraid of me, I filed for temporary custody of you. It was granted two days ago, which is how I'm seeing you for as long as I want right now. I know I asked you about this before, and I know that I said that you would have time, but this was a matter of your safety. Your guardians are Muggles, which means that besides Dumbledore and Minerva, you don't actually have anyone looking out for you in the magical world. I just had to fix it."

"How long does this temporary custody thing last?"

"Until you're released from the hospital, after which either you or I can file for a continuance petition, which lasts for a year. I can file for adoption during that period or up to two months after it ends. That involves a home visit from a Ministry representative, but that shouldn't be too problematic."

"I guess that's OK, then. Um, can you go? I'm kind of tired."

"Sure, of course. I'll have the nurse come and take the tray."

By the time the nurse stopped by, Harry was fast asleep.

###

It had been four whole days since Harry had first woken up at the hospital.

"Well, Harry, you're certainly healing well," Healer Ward announced after several minutes of poking and prodding at the healing skin that stretched over the slashes from Harry's bicep to his shoulder to his back. "Ready to go back to school?"

"Maybe. Not really ready to be stared at all day."

"That doesn't surprise me." The Healer helped Harry's arm into the sling and secured it. "Remember, no lifting your right arm too high, but make sure to go through your stretches gently before bed so that the tissues heal properly. And Madam Pomfrey assured me that your potions would be available to you at breakfast."

"Got it."

"Good. Professor McGonagall should be here shortly."

"It's been a while since I've been your professor, Michael. I think Minerva will be fine from now on. Are you ready to go, Mr. Potter?"

The healer chuckled. "It's safe to assume that you also received the instructions regarding Harry?"

"Yes I did, and I'll ensure that he follows them to the letter. Come along now, Mr. Potter."

The fireplace they were leaving from was large enough for two, to allow healers to transport patients to and from the hospital with ease. They flooed to McGonagall's office, and from there she escorted him to Gryffindor Tower.

"Harry!"

He was rushed by someone with a mass of brown hair.

"Careful, Miss Granger. Mr. Potter did just get out of the hospital. Have a good night."

Hermione practically pulled Harry over to the sofa where Ron was sitting with a frustrated look on his face, staring at his open Divination textbook.

"You won't believe the rumors going around, but it's good to have you back."

"Yeah mate, some Hufflepuff was trying to start a betting pool on how much of your arm you lost," Ron chimed in, abandoning his homework.

"Well I haven't lost any of it. Just a few new scars." Bad ones at that, but they didn't need to know.

"Good, we were so worried. At least Malfoy's finally shut up. Does he owe you a life debt?"

"Hermione, you just can't ask someone if they're owed a life debt!" Neville exclaimed.

She fired back, "But I was reading about them and it's a perfectly logical question! Like it or not, he probably saved Draco's life, which means that Draco owes him for it."

"Actually, Hermione, Sirius asked me to not talk about what happened." So it was a bit of a white lie. Maybe that was his Slytherin side talking. "He wants to leave everything to the investigators doing the inquiry."

"So you've heard about the inquiry?"

"Yeah, I have. Are Care of Magical Creatures classes canceled for now?"

"They are until the Board of Governors decides what to do, which could take weeks. We probably won't have class again until after the holidays, which is terrible for the O.W.L. students; they'll have so much catching up to do."

"Have you talked to Hagrid?" Harry asked, settling in on the couch while being careful of his shoulder.

"We've been 'advised against it'," Hermione answered, the air quotes audible in her words. "He hasn't even been up to the castle for meals; he's effectively under house arrest because of the Ministry."

"Wankers," Ron added in. "And now Hermione's abandoned me to Trelawney."

Harry turned to her. "You dropped Divination?"

"And Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures. I didn't have a choice and it's a long story. It was a secret, which obviously means that the whole school already knows."

"So what happened?"

"I was using a time turner to get to all of my classes so far this year. I think a few older students had already figured it out but they didn't say anything. The headmaster wrote to the Ministry and got special permission, provided that I didn't tell _anyone_ about it."

"So why did you drop everything? It's already halfway through the year."

"In light of recent events, the Board of Governors required full transparency from the professors. Once they found out that I had it, they voted and decided that I was too young and that it was too taxing on my magic to be using it as frequently as I was."

"How does it work anyway?"

"It basically sends the user back in time. So basically, Hermione would go to one class, then use the time turner, and then go to her other class. Technically, at certain points in time, there were two of herrunning around the castle."

"Holy crap."

"You should have seen the look on Malfoy's father's face. He looked way too pleased with himself."

"So what now?"

"I can't do anything about it. As the board so helpfully reminded me, I'm a Muggleborn without anyone on my side."

"Sirius mentioned something about that."

"Oh, we know. It was in the _Prophet_." Neville passed Harry an older issue of the paper. Tucked in a neat little box in the corner next to the story about the incident, it mentioned that he would be unavailable for comment, and all inquiries should be directed to Abbott, Mathers,  & Abernathy, and that all well wishes should be sent via the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. "It was pretty easy to figure out what he did."

"I was looking into the adoption laws; did you do the continuance?"

"Actually, yeah, we did. There wasn't any reason not to."

"By the way, Harry, Professor Sprout wanted me to let you know that you don't need to rush to catch up. I doubt any of the professors expect you be in a hurry to figure out what's going on in class, especially considering, well, you know." Neville's gaze drifted towards Harry's sling-secured arm.

"Yeah. Sirius actually got me a few dicta-quills for classes and homework, but it means I'll have to take tests separately until I can write again. And I'm sitting out of Potions, which I'm sure Snape will just love."

"But what about your grade?"

"I don't really care, besides, it's not like it's our O.W.L. year. I can't make a potion with one hand unless you want me to blow up the room."

"Potter!"

"Oh hey, Oliver."

"Obviously, Frobisher's in, since you decided to get mauled or whatever. Get on the pitch with her this week so that she doesn't completely embarrass us against Hufflepuff."

"Aye, aye, captain."


	18. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

Harry made his grand entrance into the Great Hall the following morning. There was a hush, followed by whispers, before the normal noise of several hundred teenagers eating breakfast returned to normal. As mentioned, his potions appeared next to his plate as soon as he sat down, but he loaded his plate before chugging them.

"Harry, Professor McGonagall asked me to pass this to you," Colin Creevey said, once he approached the group of older students.

Harry unrolled the scroll and read it to himself.

' _Mr. Potter,_

 _My apologies for the incident that took place. As I have heard you are now well and back at school, I would appreciate it if you would be willing to discuss the events which occurred. Having spoken with your head of house, I have been informed that you will be sitting out of your Potions class this afternoon, so if this time is suitable for you, please meet me in the Great Hall._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lord Marvolo Slytherin'_

"What is it?" Neville asked.

"Nothing, Lord Slytherin just wants to meet with me."

"Yeah, he's talked to me too. He's probably met with most of Hagrid's students by this point."

###

Harry slogged through his morning classes, grateful for his dicta-quill. If he had tried to write with his left hand, his notes would have been beyond illegible. The staring died down a bit at lunch, especially since people had realized that he hadn't lost his arm. After sitting through an hour of Charms, it was time for his meeting with Lord Slytherin.

As he entered the almost-empty Great Hall, he spotted someone who he hadn't seen recently. "Remus? What are you doing here?"

"Sirius thought it would be best to have someone here on your behalf. He would have come himself, but he's a bit tied up in a meeting with his solicitor."

"You didn't have to come, but thanks."

Lord Slytherin then approached. "Hello, Mr. Potter. And good to see you again, Mr. Lupin. Why don't we take a seat?" The three of them sat at what was normally the Hufflepuff table. "Do you mind if I use a dicta-quill?"

"No, it's fine."

"Very well then. We might as well begin," Lord Slytherin said, and then he prepared a yellow dicta-quill similar to Harry's and a roll of parchment. "Mr. Potter, could you please describe, in as much detail as you can, what happened in your Care of Magical Creatures class, taught by Rubeus Hagrid, on the day that you were injured?"

Harry launched into his description of that day, from seeing the hippogriffs in the clearing, to earning Buckbeak's respect, to having to shield Draco from Witherwings.

"And did Mr. Hagrid inform you of the danger relating to hippogriffs prior to introducing you to them in person?"

Harry sighed. There was no way this was going to sound good. "Not really. He told us a bit on how to approach them, and then I just kind of tried it and it worked."

"And do you think Mr. Malfoy was intentionally trying to provoke the hippogriff?"

"Probably not. I mean, what he said wasn't good, but I don't think he was like, 'Oh, I want to get attacked by a hippogriff today.'"

"Do you think Mr. Hagrid was a good instructor prior to the incident with the hippogriff?"

"He really cares about the animals and creatures."

"That wasn't my question, Mr. Potter. I'm sure he does care about magical creatures, however, that does not qualify one to teach children, let alone anyone else. What was the quality of Mr. Hagrid's teaching?"

"It was OK, I guess. We learned stuff."

"That's all I needed to know. Thank you for your time, Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin. The Board of Governors will be convening at the end of this week to determine Mr. Hagrid's position on the staff."

"Excuse me, but what about the Ministry investigation?"

"Although it is related and I understand your concern, it is not within my jurisdiction. The Ministry will simply use our decision here to inform their process. On a happier note, this is for you." He passed Harry a thick envelope, sealed with a dark green wax, which was pressed in place with the Slytherin family crest. "It's an invitation to a small gathering at my home, just before Yule. I hope you will consider attending."

"Thank you, I will," Harry said, tucking the envelope into his satchel. "I should probably be heading to the library now; I have a lot of work to catch up on."

"I'll go with you," Remus offered. "I'm already here, we might as well fit in a tutoring session. It was good to see you, Lord Slytherin."

"You as well."

Remus and Harry left the Great Hall, ascending the stairs and going in the direction of the library.

"So, should I go?"

"Definitely. Sirius has already replied to the invitation, so naturally, as his ward, you're expected to attend as well. I'll draft and send a response for you, if you want me to."

"That would be cool. What's the actual event?"

"It'll be fairly small and casual, according to society's standards. Cocktails, followed by dinner and conversation. There will be a children's room, of course, so you won't have to deal with the adults."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"It really won't be. But enough about parties, let's do some Arithmacy."

###

A few days later, an announcement appeared on the bulletin board in the common room. Harry knew was it was after reading the first few words.

 _From the Board of Governors of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:_

 _Following a detailed review in regards to an incident which occurred during a Care of Magical Creatures class, involving two students and a Class XXX creature, it has been determined that Mr. Rubeus Hagrid is unqualified for a teaching role at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is henceforth removed from his position as professor, however, he is allowed to remain on the grounds in his position as gamekeeper, pending the results of a criminal investigation by the British Ministry of Magic._

 _A search for a permanent professor has begun, however, at this time, Care of Magical Creatures classes have been suspended until further notice. A study program is being organized for fifth through seventh year students still interested in pursuing their O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. in the subject. Speak to your head of house for more information._

 _Lord Marvolo Slytherin, Chair_

 _Lady Julissa Abercrombie_

 _Lord Archibald Harrison_

 _Lord George Leonard_

 _Marius MacDougal_

 _Lord Lucius Malfoy_

 _Peter O'Flaherty_

 _Selena Worley-Harper_

"I still can't believe they can just cancel a class like that," Hermione complained from beside him. "It's completely unfair. Do you think you're going to take it once they bring it back?"

"Maybe, depending on who the teacher is. I'll figure it out. Have you heard anything about what's going on with the Ministry?"

"Lavender was gossiping earlier and said that someone's cousin is a receptionist at _The Daily Prophet_ and that they told her that there's a big story breaking tomorrow. But it's Lavender, so who knows if that's actually true."

###

For once, Lavender was actually right.

 _Hogwarts Gamekeeper Charged!_

 _Rubeus Hagrid, former Hogwarts professor, having been permanently removed from his teaching post just yesterday, and current gamekeeper, has been charged with numerous crimes, following an investigation stemming from an incident at the school just under two weeks ago._

 _The charges are as following: 1) Violation of the 1965 Ban on Experimental Breeding due to the combination of two creatures, which shall remain unnamed due to the dangerous nature of illegal breeding. 2) Illegal import of a protected creature [2 counts]. 3) Possession of a protected creature without a permit [two counts]. 4) Illegal breeding of a protected creature [two counts]. 5) Illegal possession of a dragon egg. 6] Illegal possession of a dragon. 7] Illegal export of a dragon. 8] Contributing to the delinquency of a minor [4 counts]._

 _According to our sources at the Ministry of Magic, Rubeus Hagrid was arrested last night at his dwelling on the grounds of Hogwarts, and will be held at the Ministry of Magic until his case is reviewed by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones. It is unknown if Mr. Hagrid has retained legal representation at this time._

Ron's freckles started to stand out as he got even paler. "How'd they find out about Nor…the you-know-what? We didn't tell anyone."

"One word," Harry said, gritting his teeth as he made a left-handed stab at his breakfast. "Malfoy. We know he saw us that night; he probably told his bloody father to make up for the fact that a Gryffindor saved his life. And now Hagrid's probably going to Azkaban."

"He was already going to Azkaban," Seamus pointed out. "Those bloody Skrewts got freaking huge. Good thing he didn't make us handle them or someone might've gotten hurt." He looked at Harry. "Or, you know, more hurt."

"So what happens now?"

"Well, this isn't nearly as high profile as what was going on with Sirius, so the Ministry will probably want to make it go away. But it is horribly embarrassing for Dumbledore and the board. My gran used to be on it and even she's said that Hogwarts has gone downhill since she attended."

"But Hogwarts is the best magical school in Europe," Hermione fired back.

"Have you even heard of other magical schools, let alone visited them? Durmstrang's known for their ridiculously good Dark Arts curriculum, and all of Beauxbatons' instructors are required to have a mastery in their field. And they're greenhouses are much better than ours."

"So why didn't you go there?

Neville shrugged. "I didn't get an invite to Beauxbatons, and the Longbottoms are a historically Light family, so I was invited as a formality, but it was obvious that I wasn't going to go there. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons both tend to be pretty exclusive."

"Do you think I could visit?" Hermione asked, clearly interested in the potential for new knowledge.

"Maybe. I have a distant third cousin or whatever who went to Beauxbatons, so we were invited on a tour as a courtesy, but if you write, they might let you. Durmstrang is more secretive; no one besides the students, teachers, and alumni even know where it is. And they're not always the nicest sort of people."

"Well, they're obviously not, since they teach the Dark Arts," Ron said. "They're a bunch of pretentious pricks."

"What do you mean?"

Neville took a deep breath. "Let me put it this way. Even if you weren't a girl, you wouldn't have gotten an invitation to apply. Neither would Dean, or Seamus, or even Harry, and he's the bloody Boy-Who-Lived."

Hermione quickly connected the dots. "Those bigots." she muttered. "Just because someone isn't pureblood doesn't mean that they aren't worthy."

"They don't see it that way. It's all about prestige for them."

###

As the adolescents and teenagers roamed the halls of Hogwarts on the way to their first classes of the morning, Albus Dumbledore was starting his morning with a meeting.

"Lemon drop, Tom?"

Lord Slytherin shot his former headmaster, although he refused to acknowledge it, a disturbed look that reflected his now sane persona's confusion. "No thank you, and I believe my first name is Marvolo. I fail to see how you came to the conclusion to call me Tom. And I would prefer to be addressed as Lord Slytherin."

As long as he held up the charade, it didn't matter what the old fool believed. The ice he was walking on was already so thin that if he showed any hint of senility, the board would find a nice cottage to settle him in for good, far, far away from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Very well then," Dumbledore replied with a disbelieving chuckle. Even after all these years, Tom couldn't fool him.

"I'm here to discuss the matter of Rubeus Hagrid. In light of the charges against him, the board has decided that Hogwarts isn't the best place for him, and is questioning your judgement in regards to his role here. Gamekeeper? Sure. But teaching and dealing with detentions? I believe you and he overstepped some very clear boundaries."

"Ah. I believe you spoke with young Mr. Malfoy?"

"I won't disclose which students have spoken with me and what they have spoken about. However, I also heard a very interesting story about a troll."

"Quirinus Quirrell was a disturbed young man who developed delusions of grandeur."

"That does not excuse the fact that you chose to store a dangerous artifact inside a school, where, quite frankly, any student could have stumbled into the various protections you convinced your faculty to provide. Thankfully, Mr. Potter and his friends saved the day."

"For which they received my gratitude and a proper reward, including significant numbers of house points."

"One would think that they would garner more of a reward for saving a priceless magical item from falling the hands of a 'disturbed young man with delusions of grandeur', Headmaster Dumbledore."

"What would you prefer? There weren't any dangerous creatures roaming the castle, being controlled by a mysterious culprit, only to be stopped just at the right moment. I'm sure you're plenty familiar with that scenario."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. However, in addition, you will have the pleasure of informing Professor Snape that after today, he is suspended, with pay, until further notice. The Board of Governors has taken the initiative to contact Mr. Horace Slughorn, and he has agreed to return from his retirement to teach until a course of action has been agreed upon."

Marvolo smirked as his news caught Albus by surprise, as the headmaster sat up even straighter in his chair. He loved getting one up on the old man. "What did Severus do?"

"I was provided with a memory by a student's parent, and that student shall remain unnamed. It shows Mr. Snape insulting and belittling students and their parentage, behavior which is completely unacceptable and unbecoming of a teacher at Hogwarts."

"I take it that you will be looking into this as well?"

"Naturally."

"Is there anything else that needs to be addressed?"

"If you failed to realize already, the Board of Governors will be conducting an educational audit of the school. Please make a formal announcement to the students. If there's anything else, I'll be sure to send you an owl. Have a nice day, Headmaster Dumbledore."

Tom swept towards the fireplace and disappeared into the spiking green flames.

Albus watched with tired blue eyes as the flames returned to normal after the lord's exit. Well, there was no better time like the present. He checked Severus' schedule and decided to send him a message. He penned a note, and with a flick of his wand, the parchment transformed into a dove-like shape and flew out the door and down the spiral staircase on swift paper wings.

Forty minutes later, Severus was at the door, the parchment unfolded in his hand. "You wished to speak with me Albus?"

"Severus, please, have a seat. Lemon drop?"

"No thank you. What is this about?"

"I just had a meeting with Lord Slytherin this morning. As you know, he's now the chairman of the Board of Governors. He has some very interesting ideas as to how Hogwarts should be run.

"Albus, cut to the chase. I have fourth-years in twenty minutes."

"Apparently he has received word from the parent of a student that your classroom is a…less than fair environment. So, until the board can look into the matter further, I have been given the task of informing you that after today, you are suspended from your teaching duties. Of course, you are welcome to stay in the castle."

Snape did a remarkable impression of a fish before collecting himself and asking, "Who will be taking my classes?"

"Horace Slughorn, your former teacher, has generously offered to come out of retirement. Not to worry Severus, I'm sure this arrangement will only last until the holidays,but I'm sure Horace will want to meet with you to discuss your lesson plans."

"But, then what will I do?"

"I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will appreciate your additional free time to help brew potions for the infirmary. You always know colds spike during this time of year. Now, don't you have a class to teach?"

"Of course."

Severus stood with a ramrod straight back and showed himself out.

* * *

Reviews are always appreciated! Also, the poll on my profile is still active, so check it out and vote.


	19. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _A/N:_ Holy _**bleep**_ it's been a long time. As a side note, the day I published Chapter 18 ended up being a pretty long, stressful, and overall emotionally awful day, so thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed – it really means a lot to me and you really made my day!

 _ **RECAP**_ **:** Since it's been a while, in the last chapter, Harry told Lord Slytherin what happened with the hippogriff, Dumbledore and Lord Slytherin had a lovely conversation, and Snape got suspended from teaching for what he said to Harry about James Potter. Now on with the show!

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

"I know that what happened was rough." Remus remarked as he and Harry wrapped up their early Wednesday morning tutoring session. They were in a small, empty fourth-floor classroom. "What Severus said wasn't fair at all."

"I still don't know why though. I asked Sirius and he just…"

"Skirted around the topic, right? He tends to do that. Do you want to know why Severus said what he said?"

"Obviously."

Remus shot a whispered spell at the door before continuing to speak. "First of all, not a word of this to anyone, even Ron and Hermione."

"I promise not to tell."

"Very well then. At Hogwarts there were four boys, who by the end of their first year, were best friends. Your dad, Sirius and myself. And another boy who doesn't bear mentioning."

"Pettigrew?"

"Unfortunately. Anyway, your dad and Sirius were my best friends. We called ourselves the Marauders because we thought we were cool. And then there was your mum, of course. She was my first friend, and James fell in love with her from day one. But there was also a boy in Slytherin, named Severus Snape. He grew up near your mum and knew her before they came to Hogwarts, so of course, James hated him. So we played pranks, on him and on other people."

"So you were like Fred and George."

"In a way. But our pranks became increasingly mean-spirited. I'm ashamed to say that we turned into bullies. I took a step back from it after Lily and I became prefects in our fifth-year, but your father and Sirius became more and more vicious, especially if Snape was the target. Unfortunately, most of the teachers turned a blind eye, because in that day and age, money and your family name trumped almost everything. We got a few detentions here and here, but never anything serious."

"Look at Malfoy, it's probably still the case."

"It used to be worse, believe me. At the end of our fifth-year, after an O.W.L. exam, we took things too far. I won't go into the details of it, but I will say that Snape gave as good as he got. But your mum ended up jumping in to defend him and he ended up calling her a you-know-what."

"He called her _that_?" Harry exclaimed.

"He did. Their friendship ended after that. But then, in our sixth year Sirius played the worst prank of all. One night, he told Severus where he might find a werewolf on the full moon."

"Did he go?"

"He did. I almost killed him, but your dad saved his life, Harry. Of course, Sirius was suspended and we lost Gryffindor a hundred points each. What really made Snape angry though, is that Dumbledore made him make a magical vow not to tell anyone what had happened, and then your dad dissolved the life debt between them."

"But isn't that the honorable thing to do?"

"Your dad was one of the most honorable of them all, Harry. We all had grown up a lot that year because if Voldemort. But of course, Snape was incensed. From his perspective, James had basically said that there was nothing that he could have offered him. Of course, after Lily found out what James did, she finally said yes to a date with him. Hogsmeade had to wait though, since those privileges were suspended too."

"So Sirius didn't want to tell me because…"

"He's probably still ashamed. Many in the wizarding world were more bigoted than they are now. Had I managed to kill Snape, even if it was an accident, I would have ended up with my head mounted above some bastard's fireplace, Dumbledore would have been ousted for allowing a werewolf to attend Hogwarts, James and Sirius would probably have been suspended for knowing about a werewolf and not reporting it, and there are exorbitant fines for being an unregistered Animagus. Sirius almost ruined a lot of lives that night, but he didn't. Because of your father. Remember that Harry."

"I will. But basically, Snape's a bitter man who can't get over the past?"

"As much as I hate to put it this way Harry, you essentially remind him of the best and worst years of his life. That said, it shouldn't have affected his teaching, and he should have never said what he said to you."

"Thanks, Remus. So you think I did the right thing?"

"By telling us? Yes, you did. I know Sirius was livid, but that's just him showing that he cares. No one should ever hear something like that about their father, dead or alive."

"Do you think you'll make the Quidditch match tomorrow? I know I'm not playing, but it still might be fun."

"I'm afraid not. We're up to our ears in work right now, and we're still dealing with the fallout of what happened with the hippogriff."

"Yeah, of course. Well, then I guess I'll see you later then."

"Of course you will. Good luck finishing your work for the week."

"Thanks. Have a good weekend." As Remus removed the spell from the door and headed out, Harry packed up his things and began to head to Gryffindor Tower.

Halfway there, he heard shouting in the corridor. "You're a liar Malfoy!"

It was Ron. Harry walked a little faster and found his red-faced best friend facing off against Draco. He was flanked by Hermione, Neville and Dean, while Malfoy had Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini by his side.

"Seriously, Weasley? Are you forgetting that I got detention then, too? Why on earth would I tell my father about _that_?"

"Because you run to your father about everything you bloody prat!"

"Sure about that, Weasley?"

"I know I'm right."

Harry approached and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron, just drop it. It's not like he'll admit to it."

"Potter, why would I run to my father and tell him that I got a detention because I got caught sneaking out after curfew to follow _you_ of all people? Now the board knows precisely which students are involved and I've been informed that we will be having a discussion after I go home for the holidays. Why would I do that to myself? I'm a Slytherin, not a bloody Gryffindor!"

"Do you really expect us to believe you?" Hermione queried. "You told McGonagall on us in the first place."

"Only because I wasn't stupid enough to jump in and help the bloody oaf. There's a reason why he's headed for Azkaban, you know."

"Hagrid is not an oaf!"

"He tried to raise a dragon in a wooden hut! Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure that that qualifies him to be considered the least intelligent being for a thousand miles."

Harry rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's get go."

###

The Potions lesson that day was an oddly silent affair. Snape barely took off points. In fact, he barely watched them at all. He simply sat at his desks, neck rigid and face twisted into a scowl, grading assignments with tense flicks of his wrist. Knowing what he did now, Harry actually felt a bit sorry for him.

But not too sorry.

"Whoever put Snape's knickers in a twist, I either want to thank them or tell them to run," Ron said once they were clear of the dungeons.

"Probably both," Harry agreed.

"Maybe Dumbledore found out what he said and gave him a talking too," Dean speculated.

"Or maybe the board found out and gave him a good arse kicking," Ron said, getting even more excited.

"Ron, I doubt the Board of Governors has kicked any teacher's you-know-what. That's called assault," Hermione informed him.

"Actually, the Board of Governors did find out," a way too familiar voice said from beside them. "Potter, a word?" It was Malfoy, however, Crabbe and Goyle were conspicuously absent. "Preferably in private?"

"If there's anything you need to say to Harry, you can say it to us," Hermione said.

Draco raised a pale eyebrow. "This is family business, and therefore, nothing you need to know. Potter?"

"Fine. Five minutes." They moved away but out of sight, turning slightly towards the wall to give themselves the illusion of privacy. "What is this about?"

"You know what it's about; I know Sirius told you. He's spoken to my parents about the situation as well. As a result, I would like to formally invite you and Lord Black to spend the day at Malfoy Manor, the Monday after we leave Hogwarts for the holidays."

Sirius had mentioned this, but he was surprised that Malfoy was actually taking the initiative.

"Fine. What time should we get there?"

"Eleven o'clock should be appropriate. I believe my mother intends to serve brunch."

"Works for me."

"Good." Malfoy started to walk away when Harry grabbed his arm.

"Wait. Why did you tell your father about Norbert?"

Draco turned back around, brushing Harry's hand off his sleeve. "Watch the robes Potter. And who the heck is Norbert?"

"Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback. You literally just yelled at Ron about this hours ago. Don't you remember?"

"You mean the bloody dragon Hagrid hatched in his hut? His _wooden_ hut? He actually gave that _thing_ a name?"

"Well, do you know any other dragons?"

"I barely knew that one. And no, I didn't tell my father! His heir or not, he would have had my head if he found out that I knew about illegal activity on Hogwarts grounds without telling him. He was furious enough as it was! He made me show him all of his memories after the board found out about it."

"You're lying."

"Seriously?" Draco dropped his voice. "I owe you a _life debt_ Potter. You're one if the last people I should lie to right now. And it's not like I'm the only person on the planet who knows about it. After all, the dragon reserve you sent it off to has been contacted, so who knows who tattled on you? But it wasn't me."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm the one who reported my own godfather for calling the father that you can't even remember an 'arrogant swine'!" Draco hissed. His normally pale face was showing tinges of pink. "All because I'd already screwed up once and I didn't want my father to be even angrier at me!"

"You did what?"

"I showed my father the memories from the whole day. He wanted to know why I got so angry that I went and decided to provoke a bloody hippogriff even though I'm supposed to know better than that."

"I'm just trying to get past the fact that Snape's your godfather. Is that why you've always beaten Hermione in Potions?"

"I beat your little pet Mud…Muggleborn, because I'm good and I had a good teacher. My mother's been tutoring me since I was five, and the only reason why she didn't pursue her Potions mastery is because she got married to my father."

"Oh."

"Yes, 'oh'. And to be honest, I doubt he'll be my godfather for much longer. My father won't allow the Malfoy name to be associated with anything that could possibly be considered scandal."

"Fine. I believe you."

"Then I'll see you over the holidays. And Potter?"

"What now?"

"For your information, the correct etiquette would be to send my mother a letter about how wonderfully polite her charming son was while inviting you, and to thank her in advance for graciously hosting you."

"Got it."

Harry returned to his friends, and they started heading to Gryffindor Tower for a short break, now that Care of Magical Creatures was canceled.

"What did Malfoy want?" Ron demanded to know once they were on one of the moving staircases.

"It was family business, so I don't think I should really talk about it. But he did mention something about the whole situation with Hagrid. He told his father…"

Ron cut him off by exclaiming, "I knew it!"

"…but only after his father found out about the you-know-what in the first place. And apparently, his father was pissed that Draco didn't report it to the authorities right off the bat. And you know what? I believe him."

"Harry, Malfoy's in Slytherin. For all you know, he's just trying to manipulate you so that you'll release him from the life debt," Hermione reasoned.

Neville rolled his eyes. "Life debts aren't that simple. The only way a life debt truly goes away is if the wizard or witch someone's been indebted to dies. If the debtor dies, the debt gets passed down their family line. To release someone from their debt is really rare, and a pretty big deal. But this definitely isn't a discussion for a corridor."

"Neville, it's not like no one knows. It's pretty obvious."

"Still, you shouldn't talk about. It's pretty personal. Right, Harry?"

"Yeah, it is. Sorry, Hermione."

"Seriously, Harry?"

He shrugged. "Seriously." After a long trek and several moving staircases, they made it to Gryffindor Tower. "Anyway, the point is that I don't think Draco was the one to report the you-know-what, meaning that someone else did. And we know that it wasn't Hagrid."

###

That night after dinner, Professor McGonagall summoned all of the students in Gryffindor to the common room. "Everyone, please be quiet." The room settled down. "The Board of Governors wanted us to announce that they will be conducting an educational audit of Hogwarts. Don't be surprised if one of them pulls you aside to ask a question or two. They will try to stay out of the way as much as possible."

The room erupted in whispers.

Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"How long will this take?"

"Ideally, less than two weeks, to allow for the dust to settle, so to speak, before you're off for the holidays. In addition, Professor Horace Slughorn will take over Potions lessons beginning next week."

That night, Harry made sure to pen a very polite letter to Lady Malfoy, as well as one to Sirius to update him on the goings on at Hogwarts, although he probably already knew.

###

The news of Snape's suspension raced around the castle faster than a phoenix, but the school's attention quickly turned to the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch game that Saturday.

"Remember," Harry said, sitting apart from his friends so that he could fit in some last-minute coaching with Victoria prior to the match. "Diggory's good, so keep an eye on him. It's supposed to storm, but don't let yourself get too battered out there. And eat; you'll need your strength."

He tried to lead by example by swallowing his morning potion (he was almost at the end of the healer's regime) and helping himself to a short stack of pancakes.

"But if I lose it for Gryffindor, Wood's going to kill me."

"He'll be pissed, but he won't kill you. Even if you lose, unless we get absolutely destroyed, we'll still be in contention for the cup."

"Great."

"I promised, it'll be fine. You've been practicing all year; you know how to catch the snitch. You just have to focus and trust everyone else on the pitch to do their job. Ok?"

"Ok. I should probably go. It looks like the team's heading down."

Sure enough, Oliver was standing and gathering the troops.

"Good luck out there, Frobisher." Harry scooted down the bench to rejoin his friends and finish his breakfast. "This is so weird."

"To not be playing?"

"Yep. At least I'm almost healed. Pomfrey will probably give me the all clear before the holidays. Sirius mentioned something about flying."

"So you're really staying with Sirius?" Ron asked. "Mum will be pretty disappointed if you don't come to the Burrow."

"I'm sure we can find the time to stop by and visit. I'll tell Sirius so he can figure out his schedule; he's always pretty busy."

"Ok, then. Should we go down to the pitch? We should try to get good seats."

They abandoned their plates and wrapped themselves in warm cloaks and their red and gold gear. Hermione carried a large Muggle umbrella that the three of them would be sharing. When they headed outside, the rain was already coming down in sheets and the path was a muddy mess.

"I should have stayed in the library," Hermione groaned.

"We won't even be able to see the game," Ron complained.

"Harry!"

Harry turned around to see a figure holding a black umbrella over his head. It was Sirius, to Harry's surprise. "Sirius? Why are you here? I told you, I'm not even playing. And I thought you were busy."

"But this will be our first chance to actually watch a Quidditch game with both of us in the stands, so I thought I'd take my chances with the weather. And Remus finding out that I abandoned my work for the afternoon." He tapped his wand to Harry's glasses and the water finally stopped beading on the lenses.

"Thanks."

"Not a problem. Now let's not get too soaked; it looks like your friends are waiting."

Sirius joined the three of them in Gryffindor's stands; he was wearing a red and gold scarf himself, but his was in a more grown-up plaid.

"Let's hope the Quaffle doesn't get stuck in the mud, now that would be a messy game. It happened this one time in our fifth year, it was wedged in there so deep that the ref had to call a time out so that they would dig it out. You should have seen your dad have at it back in the day. Maybe you'll switch to chaser."

"Sirius, I'm a seeker, remember?"

"But you're growing, and your back up doesn't seem to be half bad." The teams were keeping the warm up short so that they could get out of the weather as soon as possible.

"She's Victoria Frobisher, second year. Flies a Comet 260, but I'm letting her borrow my Nimbus 2000 for today, otherwise Diggory would smoke her on his 2001. Small enough to be a good seeker, but she'll probably be half-drowned by the time the game's over."

"Planning on being a Quidditch scout?" Sirius joked.

"I'm not sure. We're supposed to meet with Professor McGonagall about careers eventually. I thought I wanted to be an Auror, but now I'm not sure."

"Well, whatever you decide to do, I'll be proud of you."

Lee Jordan's amplified, bellowing voice announced the start of the match. Gryffindor seemed to get off to a good start, but the weather conditions were making the Quaffle and beaters bats slippery.

"10 points for Gryffindor!" Moments later, "10 points for Hufflepuff!"

The scoring went back and forth.

"At least she's staying out of the way," Sirius said, pointing up at the sky. "She'd get battered out there otherwise."

"Look at him go! Has Diggory seen the snitch?" Harry shifted to the edge of his seat. "No! He broke up the Gryffindor chaser formation. Bell loses the Quaffle and its back down the other way."

"Pretty good tactic," Harry admitted grudgingly. The Hufflepuff team hadn't used it before, but it was pretty effective in this type of weather.

The game kept going, and neither team seemed to get closer to winning. The score flip-flopped and neither seeker seemed to spot the snitch.

Sirius glanced down at the heavy gold watch he was wearing. "Almost at the two-hour mark."

"Two hours?" Hermione exclaimed. "It's bloody freezing out here. I'll be in the library if you need me." She started standing up, but Ron put out an arm to stop her.

"Come on, Hermione, there's only a half-hour left."

"What?"

Ron clarified. "Amateur rules. The game gets called at the two-and-a-half-hour mark if the snitch isn't caught."

"Well I don't care. See you back up at the castle."

Hermione maneuvered her way out of their row and disappeared down the wooden stairs.

"What's up her bum?" Ron wondered out loud.

The game ended on an anti-climactic note, as neither Victoria nor Cedric caught the snitch. Gryffindor won by just a single goal, scored at the last minute by Angelina. Most of the crowd was just happy to be able to head back up the castle and get dry and warm.

"I'll walk you back up to the castle, but then I need to go." They hung back from Ron and the rest of Harry's housemates and walked at a slower pace. "You replied to Narcissa's invitation, right?"

"Yep. Perfectly polite."

"Good. We'll have to get you some proper robes as soon as you get back. How's the arm?"

"Getting better and its almost back to normal, but Madame Pomfrey thinks the scars will be permanent."

"Shame, but I'll let you in on a secret: witches dig scars. By the way, has Hermione been alright recently? Lord Slytherin mentioned the time turner and he sounded concerned that the school would allow her to have one."

"I think she's mostly upset about having to drop her extra classes and losing out on the extra study time."

"Do you think she was using it for other things besides going to class?"

"It's Hermione. She probably used it to go to the library. She did seem pretty tired overall this term, but now I know why."

"Then Lord Slytherin was right to have it taken away. Time is a privilege, and messing with it can be dangerous for the untrained and those who misuse it. She's very lucky to not have suffered any adverse effects."

"There's actually something else that's been bothering me." Harry slowed down even more, allowing the flow of students to move past them.

"Is it about the dragon?"

Harry's head snapped up. "What? How did you find out?"

"Lucius is family, remember? At least, I try to pretend that he isn't, but he is, so I try to be somewhat civil. He showed me Draco's memories. There's a magical object, a Pensieve, that allows you to see what someone else has experienced. Anyway, I know that you, Ron, and Hermione knew about the dragon egg that Hagrid decided to hatch."

"We didn't know how bad it was. Well, Ron might've known, but Hermione and I had no clue. It didn't really seem safe, but I didn't know that it was actually illegal. Will we get in trouble?"

"There's no way you will. You were a first-year, and Hagrid should have known better than to drag the three of you, and Draco by extension, into it. It's more likely that Charlie Weasley and his co-workers will face a slight punishment."

"Charlie? But he was just trying to help!"

"He's also an adult, and if anyone should know the laws regarding dragons, it would be him. But don't worry; the worst he'll get is a fine and a slap on the wrist, especially since it seems like he followed all of the proper procedures once they arrived back in Romania."

"Ok, good. Ron wanted me to go to the Burrow over the holidays and I didn't want Mrs. Weasley to be mad at me."

"Molly? I doubt she could ever be mad at anyone. I'll make sure to owl her so that we can make plans to visit. I've got to go now, but I'll meet you at King's Cross for the holidays."

"Alright. Bye Sirius."

Harry waved goodbye and headed inside. There was a conspicuous lack of celebration in the common room, and Harry was sure that Oliver was ripping apart the team in the changing room for the close call. He went up to the dormitory and changed into a dry jumper and his second-best fitting pair of pants and went back down to do homework.

The team returned a half-hour later, led by Oliver. His face wasn't as furrowed as Harry expected, but he definitely doesn't look pleased. "Potter, if you don't get better by the time we play Slytherin in January, you'll wish that hippogriff had ripped your arm off." He stomped up to his dormitory and Harry flinched at the distant sound of a door slamming.

Victoria was the last into the common room. She silently passed Harry his broom and turned to head up the stairs.

"Hey, why don't you sit?"

Victoria took a seat, her head hanging and two wet braids dangling. "I failed."

"You didn't fail. Diggory's a fifth-year, so the fact that he didn't catch it either means a lot."

"Wood let me have it."

"Wood let's everyone have it. You should hear how much he yells at me even when I manage to catch the snitch. Don't take it to heart; he just cares about the game. A lot."

"Will you be back to go against Slytherin? Malfoy will destroy me if I go against him."

"Of course, I'll be back, but I'll see if I can talk Wood into letting all of the reserves practice with us full-time, just in case this happens again."

"Ok, thanks, Harry. I think I'm just going to go to bed; it's been a long day already."

"Alright, then. Goodnight."

* * *

 _A/N_ : Don't forget to review, favorite, follow, share, etc. Thank you!


	20. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

A/N: I always personally reply to all of my reviewers (unless it's a guest, of course), so thanks for the reviews and keep them coming! The time that you take to write them is always appreciated! In addition - keep voting on the poll on my profile; I'll take it down when this story is closer to being done, but just know that there are already more stories in the works.

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

Harry found that he quite liked Professor Slughorn. The rotund man made it very clear that he was also a fan of Harry's, and not just because he was he Boy-Who-Lived and the youngest Hogwarts seeker in a century. OK, so maybe those things did have something to do with that.

"Mr. Potter, please, stay a moment after class," he requested about two weeks before it would be time to leave Hogwarts for the holidays.

Once the class had cleared out, Harry approached the professor's desk. "Did I do something, sir?"

"No, no, not at all. As a matter of fact, you're quite talented. You remind me quite a bit of your mother, actually. She was quite stellar when it came to Potions. Always found myself wishing she had ended up in my house for all of the points I gave her. And I've heard that you're quite the prodigy on the pitch, just like your father, Mr. Potter. Actually, may I call you Harry?"

Harry wanted to snort at the man's blatant flattery. "Of course, sir."

"Very well. Anyway, I'm holding a little get together before everyone heads home, and it would be wonderful if you could attend. Think of it as a way for you to get to know some of your peers." Professor Slughorn passed him a scroll tied with a gold velvet ribbon.

"Thank you for the invitation, sir. I'll be sure to keep it in mind."

Harry made sure to tuck the invitation into his satchel as he left the room. He met up with his friends outside the door and they headed to the library to do homework.

"Hermione, what do you think of Slughorn?"

She looked up from her essay for a moment before continuing to write. "He knows his Potions; and he's a lot nicer than Snape. Why?"

"Just wondering. You seem to know the most when it comes to professors."

Ron added his two knuts. "It's pretty nice that he's not breathing down our throats like Snape did. Much less of a bastard."

"Ron! You can't just go around calling professors that!" Hermione exclaimed. Madam Pince gave their small group a sharp look as the entered her domain.

"Technically, he isn't a professor right now," Neville pointed out. Out of all of them, he was probably the gladdest that Snape was gone, even it was temporary. He had actually managed to finish his assignment for the day under Slughorn's tutelage.

They found a table and started to work on their homework. Ginny joined them with a huff a few minutes later. She was holding an invitation that looked identical to Harry's. "Did any of you get an invitation to Slughorn's stupid party? He saw me hit Macmillan with a Bat-Bogey Hex and complimented me instead of giving me detention."

"I got one," Neville stated. "Apparently, Professor Sprout told him all about how well I've been doing in Herbology. And there's the fact that he taught my parents."

"Same. That's why he held me back after class today," Harry admitted.

"Wait, really? Why haven't we gotten invites then?" Hermione asked. "That's such complete favoritism!"

"It's not exactly a secret. My gran sent me a letter once she found out he would be teaching and told me all about the 'Slug Club'. Slughorn's notorious for recognizing talent at Hogwarts, and most of the people he's chosen have gone on to be the who's who in Britain. He's very well connected."

"So I'm not talented enough?"

"Don't take it personally, Hermione. He probably just doesn't know you well enough yet."

Harry took the opportunity to take a look at his invitation, now that he didn't have to hide it.

 _You are cordially invited to a supper amongst friends, courtesy of Mr. Horace Slughorn,_

 _on the Thursday prior to the commencement of the Hogwarts winter holidays_

 _at seven o'clock in the evening in the Hogwarts guest quarters; fifth floor._

"Do you think we should bring something for Slughorn?" Neville asked. "My gran says that you should always give the host a small token of your appreciation."

"I don't think it'll be a complete slight if we don't; he knows that there aren't many opportunities to buy something here. I'll probably just ask Sirius and send him a thank you gift once I'm home."

 _Home_. Boy, saying that word out loud felt so, so good.

###

The Board of Governor's evaluation of Hogwarts was way less invasive then most people anticipated. Harry barely noticed the older witches and wizards sitting in on the back of some of his classes, taking detailed notes and speaking with the professors before and after the lessons.

They mainly watched and observed, and he occasionally even saw some of them during meals in the Great Hall.

But he did find himself enjoying Potions much more. Even Neville managed to do somewhat well under Professor Slughorn's instruction.

At the conclusion of the Board of Governor's in-depth examination of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall once again gathered all of the members of their house in the common room. "I have an announcement to make. First of all, the Board would like to extend their appreciation for your patience over the past week and a half. That said, they were originally going to announce their findings sooner rather than later, however, they have found many things to be discussed and considered. Their final report will be compiled, and all changes will be formally announced once you return from your holidays. Speaking of which, if you will be staying in the castle over Christmas, please sign up now."

For once, Harry didn't need to put down his name, but he watched as Hermione added her name to the list.

"I thought your parents were taking you to Greece?"

"I convinced them to let me stay; I wanted to do some extra studying, and it'll give them the chance to have the second honeymoon that they've been wanting."

Ron and Harry shared a look, but knew better than to say anything.

###

The following day was Slughorn's small gathering for his chosen few. Harry and Neville walked down to the fifth floor with Ginny, and a house elf directed them into a small room with a round table that was set for dinner.

"Harry, Neville. Wonderful to see you. And of course, Miss Weasley, excellent. Take a seat, take a seat."

After everyone else trickled in, dinner was served, right on time. Harry found himself sitting next to Susan Bones, and across the table from Draco. Also in attendance from their year were Blaise Zabini and Hannah Abbott. There was also Roger Davies, Melinda Bobbin, whose family owned a chain of successful apothecaries, and Dominic Vaisey, from the Slytherin Quidditch team. As a result, Quidditch was one of the topics on the table.

"Of course, Gwenog is an old friend of mine," Slughorn said as he speared his steak. Harry could practically see Ginny's eyes widen slightly. "And of course, Lennox and I keep in touch. Actually, I see quite a bit of him in you, Harry. I'll be sure to put you in touch."

"That would be great, Professor."

The conversation then turned to families, and included subtle jostling of some of the others asserting their family's pedigree and power, with Draco at the helm. Harry could tell that Slughorn was loving every minute of it.

###

Two days later, the students who were leaving the castle boarded the Hogwarts Express and made it to London by late afternoon.

Harry debarked the train and started searching for Sirius as soon as his feet touched the platform.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley." It seemed like Mrs. Weasley had found them first, but Sirius was close behind. "What is this I hear about a _dragon_ and you almost costing your brother his _job_? We will be discussing this at home. Hello there, Harry. Have a good train ride?"

"The best," Harry replied. Ron shot him a half-hearted dirty look.

"Molly, Harry and I should go, but we'll make it over to the Burrow as soon as possible. Come on, Harry." Sirius put a hand on his shoulder, and after a jaunty wave to Mrs. Weasley, apparated away with his charge.

They landed in a foyer.

"Where are we?"

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London. Welcome home, Harry."

There was a crystal chandelier hanging above their heads. To the right was what looked like a formal parlor, while to the left was a more casual sitting room.

Sirius steered him into the more formal room first, and showed him the tapestry that covered the longest wall. Gold threads spanned across the pale green ground, linking names together. Sirius had had it restored from his mother's various manic rampages.

"What is it?"

"The Black family tree, in tapestry form. I'm there, with my brother. Narcissa and Andromeda are there, and then there's James, right below your grandmother and grandfather. And then there's you."

"What happened to your brother?"

"He died. He was a Death Eater, and rumor has it that he decided that Voldemort's side wasn't for him. Traitors didn't last very long back then. Do you see the wreath of leaves around his name?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Those are acanthus leaves; wizards use them to symbolize death."

Harry's eyes scanned over the tapestry. "You really are the only Black left."

"In name, yes. Do you want to see your room? And I haven't hired house elves yet, but Andromeda sent over biscuits for tea as well as dinner for tonight."

"Sure."

"It's just up the stairs, on the second floor."

Harry shot up the stairs and quickly found the room marked with a gold nameplate engraved with his name. He turned the knob and pushed open the door. The first thing he saw was the large double bed in the center of the room, resting on a plush, cream-colored carpet.

The duvet was gray and embroidered with golden snitches, and the sheets underneath were crisp and white. There were two crests painted on the wall above the bed. In the corner, there was a desk and chair, and the window had a seat. Bookshelves, just waiting to be filled, were built into the wall.

"Do you like it?"

"This is freaking awesome!"

"Good. Your wardrobe is through the door next to your bed, and your bathroom is through the one across from it."

"I have my own bathroom?"

"Of course. It took a few undetectable expansion charms, but this old house can handle it. Take a look."

Harry crossed the room and opened the door to his own personal bathroom. There was a vanity with a sink, and a large marble bathtub sat in the middle of the room. The glass-enclosed shower was at the far end, and could probably fit half a Quidditch team.

"Holy shit."

"I guess that means I did good, then. Your wardrobe's looking pretty empty, but we have an appointment at Twilfitt and Tattings tomorrow to get you some proper robes, and we'll hit a few Muggle stores, too."

"Sirius, you didn't have to do all of this, but thanks."

"You're welcome. How about some tea? You can unpack later."

Harry had left his trunk at Hogwarts, so he only had a rucksack's worth of things. He tossed the bag on the neatly made bed and followed Sirius back downstairs. Once the tea was ready, they sat on stools at the kitchen counter.

"So, I was talking to Narcissa the other day and she offered to give you a few lessons."

"Lessons? But Remus is already tutoring me, and I'm practically caught up in Arithmacy now. He said that I probably wouldn't even need him once school starts again in January."

"Not school lessons, actually. The things you should have grown up knowing how to do. Like manners, letter-writing, dancing, that sort of thing. And as much as I know, I'm definitely not the most qualified to teach you. Lucius and I had a…disagreement…so this is Narcissa's way of making amends. By the way, make sure to address her as Lady Malfoy, unless she says otherwise, or she'll give _me_ a lecture."

"Do I really have to learn how to dance?"

"'You'll have to eventually, but I'm sure she'll be a good teacher. She was the only one who actually enjoyed my mother's lessons growing up."

"Do I really have to go?"

"Yes, it would be for the best. We'll just have to work out the details. Harry, I only want what's best for you."

"But dancing, really?"

"You'll be surprised by how many balls we start getting invited too. And once you hit fifteen, you'll be expected to join the adults. We'll probably have to fend off the ladies with a very polite, metaphorical stick."

Harry groaned. "Seriously, Sirius?"

"Hey, don't blame me. Not my fault that you'll be one of Britain's most eligible bachelors with the worst hair."


	21. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

The next day, Sirius woke Harry up bright and early for their appointment at Twilfitt and Tattings. Harry's first night in the very first room that actually felt like his had been heavenly. He brushed his teeth, took a quick shower and went downstairs for breakfast.

Once they were all set, they took the floo to the Leaky Cauldron, and from there entered Diagon Alley. "Come on, Harry."

Sirius efficiently guided them down the street and to the shop. He rang the golden bell net to the black lacquered door, and it swung open moments later.

"Lord Black, welcome. And hello, Heir Potter. Your patronage is appreciated. What is it that you desire today?"

Harry got to see Sirius' Lord Black persona in action. "He will need full summer and winter wardrobes, including shirts, jumper, trousers, robes, outerwear, and shoes. He will also need three sets of dress robes; one black, one navy, and one dark gray. Everything should also have sewn in growth-extension charms."

Harry could practically see the dollar signs flickering in the man's pupils. "We also have expanded our selection to high-quality Quidditch apparel, if you would like to see the options available, Lord Black."

Sirius cut him off. "No thank you. Please, hurry up and take his measurements. We have quite a day ahead of us and have no need to spend our entire day here."

"Yes, yes, of course." He led them to a more private area of the shop, "If you'll step up on the platform and hold still, Heir Potter."

With a wave of his wand, a long measuring tape and a quill came of life, and the quill started scrawling number after number until it dropped back down five minutes later.

"I will need a copy of those," Sirius drawled.

"Yes of course." The man duplicated the sheet and handed it to Sirius. He then saw them out of the shop, promising that everything would be ready in a week or less.

"Hopefully, we won't need to go back for a while," Sirius said, tucking the parchment into his pocket. "The charms should last for at least a year or two, depending on how much you grown. Time to go to Muggle London. I made an appointment for you to get some suits."

"Why?"

"We'll have to deal with your aunt and uncle at some point, so there's no harm in looking good while doing so. Let's go." They headed back to the Leaky Cauldron, and Sirius transfigured their clothes into outfits that were more Muggle-appropriate. He also copied Harry's measurements onto normal paper with a Muggle pen, and then they headed out into the non-magical world.

They took a black cab to their first stop, a clearly-expensive tailor. Two suit fittings later, they were out the door. They then went to a department store and bought a few casual shirts, a winter wool pea coat, a couple hats and scarves, two pairs of trainers, a pair of loafers, and pajamas.

"Are you sure this isn't too much?" Harry asked as Sirius helped him pick out a few ties. Sirius had spent a couple hundred pounds on his shoes alone, and he didn't even want to think of what the total bill at Twilfitt and Tattings would amount to.

"I told you not to worry, Harry. This hardly makes a dent in what Remus budgeted for your care for the year, let alone my fortune overall. I like spending money on you and I like spoiling you. Now, blue paisley or blue striped?"

###

Harry was exhausted by the time they returned home.

"Harry, go wash up for lunch; Andromeda and Remus are coming over."

By the time, he came back downstairs, Andromeda was in the kitchen serving soup into bowls. "Sirius, if you're going to be entertaining guests, you really need to get a house elf. Not to mention there's no way that this place will stay clean without one."

"I'll take care of it as soon as I can Andy."

"Hi, Aunt Andy."

"Hello there, Harry. Her smile was warm and she gave him a brief hug, before finishing setting the table. "Is Remus coming?"

"I'm here, Andy. I was just finishing some paperwork for the esteemed Lord Black. He's quite popular, as I'm sure you know. Sirius, you have brunch at eleven with Harry at the Malfoys on Monday, a lunch meeting with Minister Fudge at one on Tuesday, followed by tea with Lord Slytherin. And don't forget the gathering at his manor two days before Christmas."

"Joy."

"You're having brunch with Narcissa and Lucius?"

"Just playing nice. This is the first time we've actually had anything to talk about. And Harry, whenever I'm out for the day and you're here alone, Remus will be here with you."

"Why? I don't need a babysitter."

"Then don't think of it as a babysitter. If what Narcissa has heard about the past couple of years you've had at Hogwarts, you need someone to keep an eye on you. Speaking of which, we _will_ be discussing that incident with the dragon later."

"We were just helping Hagrid!"

"I said that we'll discuss it later."

Harry frowned and started weaving his spoon through his soup, creating brothy ripples.

###

The conversation about the dragon was put on hold until after their visit to the Malfoys. Sirius had picked out robes for Harry the night before, and the next day, Harry was pulling at the uncomfortably stiff collar.

"Harry, are you ready?"

"Depends, do I actually have to wear this?"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Sirius entered and surveyed Harry's charcoal gray robe, dark pants, and white shirt, as well as the navy cloak, that he had had expedited over from the tailor. "You look perfectly fine. Remind me that we should get new glasses for you at some point, though. And teach you how to comb your hair…"

"Believe me, I've tried."

"Then it's probably genetic; your father had just as much trouble, but that was probably because half the girls in Hogwarts liked it just the way it was. But I'm sure that if we go to a barber they can help sort it. If that's what you want."

"Aunt Petunia just shaved it all off once," Harry remarked casually.

"She _what_?"

"Well, she tried, but it grew back over night."

"Harry, it looks like we'll have to have a lot of conversations over the next few days. Come on, but on your shoes. As much as I'd love to be rude, we can't be late. We'll be flooing over to the Malfoys'."

Harry pulled on and tied his new shoes and followed Sirius downstairs, and then after a lighting a fire in the fireplace and tossing in a pinch of powder, they were off.

Sirius caught Harry before he lost his balance as they stepped out of the fireplace on the other side. Narcissa was there to greet them, dressed in what looked like a heavy day dress.

"Lord Black, Heir Potter, it's a pleasure to be hosting you in our home." A house elf appeared and after giving their outerwear to the create, it disappeared just as quickly.

"Thank you for having us, Lady Malfoy. Now, may we please drop the formalities? I believe your husband and I have already sorted out our differences, cousin."

"Of course, Sirius. Right this way."

Apparently, they weren't dropping all of the formalities because they were dining in a sunny, but formal room. Lucius and Draco were already there, standing beside their chairs. Lucius was at the head of the table and Draco was standing two seats down on his right.

Narcissa took the seat to Lucius right, and Sirius took the seat to his left, leaving the seat across from Draco to Harry. The lady of the house sat first, and then the men and boys followed. Then the food finally appeared on the table.

There were scones, toast, various fruit compotes and curds, ham, bacon, toast, and more, plus glasses of orange juice and water appeared next to each plate.

Once their plates were filled the adults began talking, keeping the subject light.

"Po—Harry, how was your journey home from Hogwarts?" Draco asked, voice low so that he didn't interrupt the adults.

"Fine, thank you. And yours?"

"Fine, thank you. May I extend an invitation to you to play Quidditch over the holidays at a later date?"

"That sounds good."

"Harry, your Aunt Narcissa and I were actually just discussing plans for your tutelage. I think the first priority is that you learn how to dance, in case we get any invitations that we can't decline. And, of course, table manners, protocol, family trees, and whatever else she thinks is necessary. Which means that you'll spend about two or three days a week here, which should help be less bored at home when I'm busy. What do you think?"

"You don't know how to dance?" Draco interrupted, but his mouth snapped closed after looks from both of his parents.

"Raised by Muggles, remember? But yes, that sounds fine."

Lucius let a faint sneer appear on his face.

"One cannot control their own upbringing, Draco. And if you both complete your homework and do as I instruct you to, I see no reason that you shouldn't be able to spend your afternoons out on the Quidditch pitch."

"You have a Quidditch pitch?"

"A full-sized regulation Quidditch pitch," Draco bragged.

"Draco, stop boasting."

After they finished eating, the plates disappeared and it was time to discuss more serious matters. For maximum privacy, they went to Lucius' study. It was an ominous room, with wood paneled walls and heavy furniture.

"First of all, I would like to formally thank you, Heir Potter, for saving the life of my son and heir. And as such, I would like to acknowledge the life debt that holds between you and my son. If it pleases you, Heir Potter, I propose that in exchange for the loyalty of the Noble House of Malfoy to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, that the life debt be absolved and forgiven."

Harry felt Sirius stiffen next to him. And the he heard a whisper in his ear. "Accept it."

"I…I, Heir Potter, accept, umm, the loyalty of the Noble House of Malfoy to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter in exchange for, uh, absolving and forgiving the life debt owed to me by Heir Malfoy."

Draco appeared to seize up, and the tension seemed to drain out of his every pore.

"Thank you, Heir Potter, for your generosity. Now, speaking of family, have you decided on the adoption."

"No," Sirius answered. "That is still a private matter. But family members will be the first to know before we make any announcement."

###

After another hour of polite socializing at Malfoy Manor, Harry and Sirius returned to Grimmauld Place. "Go change," Sirius said. "I know those clothes aren't comfortable. And then come back down, we have some things to talk about."

Harry nodded, he knew where this conversation was going. After disappearing for ten minutes or so, he came back downstairs in a jumper and jeans. The two of them sat in the formal parlor, the one on the main floor with the tapestry.

"First things first. How in Merlin's name did you end up sneaking a dragon out of Hogwarts?"

"Hermione and Ron were there too. And Draco got detention two nights before for being out after curfew."

"I know that Harry; Draco's parents and I have already spoken in depth about that incident. I'd like to hear your side though."

"We saw Hagrid in the library, he had books on dragons, so obviously, we went down to his hut and that's when he showed us the egg. I think Ron knew that it was illegal, but I didn't know how bad it actually was to have one. Then he told us when it hatched, and that's when Mal—Draco caught us after curfew. So, Ron wrote to his brother and they came and got it."

Sirius rubbed his eyes. "And I thought your father and I were bad when we were in school. To be clear, only you, Ron, Hermione, and Draco knew about the dragon, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, then. First things first, I spoke with Draco's parents and you both will be grounded for the first week of your lessons together with Narcissa. That means no flying, either here or over there, and you will be spending your free time reading ahead for your classes."

"What?! But we play Slytherin almost right after we get back!"

"To be honest, it was Narcissa's idea. I had absolutely no clue how to punish a teenager. And just to make sure that you're not tempted, I will be taking your broom beginning Sunday night."

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm serious. However, what may put you at ease is that I'm fairly sure that Dumbledore will be advocating for Hagrid to be simply put on house arrest with a tracking charm. I personally don't think that he deserves a long stay in Azkaban either, but that will be for the court to decide."

"Are we done now?"

"One other thing. Since Lucius and his big mouth brought it up today, what are your thoughts on me adopting you?"

"What would it actually mean?"

"It would mean that you would be a member of the Black family in name and in magic, and you would become my heir. You should know that others will treat you differently."

Harry scoffed. "People already treat me differently. What if something happened to you?"

"You would go to either Andy and Ted or Narcissa and Lucius. But, Harry, you will never, ever end up with people like Dursleys again. That I can promise you."

###

That night, when Harry was lying in bed, he realized who had tattled about the dragon.


	22. Chapter 22

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _A/N_ : My inbox (metaphorically) exploded after the last chapter; thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed. I hope everyone's had a happy start to 2017! As a side note, I'm about to start my last semester of college (YAY) and my post-grad job hunt, so I'm trying to churn out as many chapters as possible before real life catches up with me. ALSO, check out the poll on my profile and vote please!

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

The next day, Sirius was off to the Ministry to meet with Minister Fudge about something very important. When he arrived, a table for two had been set up in the corner of the man's expansive office, and after cordial greetings, they sat down to eat. The Minister had spared no expense for this meeting, having had a three-course meal catered from one of Diagon Alley's best restaurants.

"Lord Black, please, remind me why you requested this meeting," Fudge asked as he speared a piece of beef.

"Godric's Hollow. Harry no longer wishes for it to be a memorial."

"But the people of Great Britain have rallied around it as a sight of importance…" Fudge trailed off with a single look from Sirius.

"His parents died there, and I believe that if we took a trip to Gringotts, you would find that the property still belongs to the Potter family estate, which Harry will inherit as soon as he turns seventeen. Now I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be seen denying the wishes of the future Lord Potter."

"But we just can't tell people where they can and cannot go!"

"Yes, we can. It's private property, and Harry was most disturbed at the memorial we found there. You _will_ ensure that the memorial is removed, and then I will ensure that the property is made Unplottable. Is that understood?"

The only thing Fudge could do was nod his head and finish his steak.

###

Sirius wished he could go home to Harry and tell him the good news, but instead, he was due to meet with Marvolo for tea. This time, they were meeting in neutral territory, a small anonymous café tucked around a corner in Diagon Alley. This wasn't a photo op.

"Has Harry told you what happened during his first two years at Hogwarts?"

"Remus filled me in on what you discussed."

"Ah yes, Mr. Lupin. Remind me that we should also find time to formally draft more appropriate werewolf legislation. But for now, let's talk about Hogwarts."

"What did the Board find?"

"We'll be formally announcing it once students have returned, but there will be only a few changes, mainly regarding a few staffing modifications. Otherwise, what we found wasn't too awful, but of course, Albus Dumbledore is not a very popular man at the moment, at least in the eyes of the Board."

"I suppose you already have a plan for that?"

"Of course, but let's not put the cart before the horse."

"Then I look forward to hearing about the changes. Harry will probably send me an owl right away once he hears about it."

"How is Harry? Has he recovered well?"

"Yes, he's perfectly fine, and looks forward to playing Quidditch again once he returns to Hogwarts after the holidays. Actually, that may be the legislation I'd also like to address; the treatment and care of wizarding orphans."

"I could see why that would be important to you. Do you mean orphaned children born to wizarding families, or Muggleborn children?"

"Both. They will all hopefully be part of our world. In an ideal world, we could organize wizarding foster families instead of an orphanage or group home."

"That sounds promising. I'll start putting out feelers if you would begin drafting something,"

"Of course, it was good seeing you, Marvolo."

"You as well, Sirius."

###

Harry decided that he hated being grounded, literally. Instead of Quidditch with Draco during their non-existent breaks, Narcissa watched them like a hawk for breaches in the perfection she was trying to create.

Yep, Harry hated being grounded.

Narcissa's voice and a stinging hex snapped him out of his daydream. "Harry, how many times have I had to tell you, shoulders straight! This is a waltz, not a lazy man's journey around a dance floor."

Harry heard a chuckle from where Draco was off to the side, working on his Latin, Narcissa had Harry moving around the Malfoy's ballroom with a wooden mannequin charmed to move effortlessly with him. Harry supposed that it was because Narcissa wasn't found of having her toes stepped on. Which was a legitimate concern, considering that he had managed to do just that to the mannequin several times in the past few steps.

"Stop looking at your feet! Remember, when you're dancing with a partner, the most important thing to look at is her face! And don't pretend I can't see you Draco; stop slouching."

All Harry wanted to do was kick off his shoes and take a break.

###

But the days flew by, and soon it was time to go holiday shopping. Sirius was in a day full of meetings and needed Remus by his side, so Narcissa took Harry and Draco to Diagon Alley for the day.

"Alright, where to you need to go first?"

"Flourish and Blotts," Harry said. "It'll be quick."

"Granger, I'm guessing?" Draco asked.

"Obviously. She wanted to know more about the Ministry of Magic."

The bell dinged as they entered the shop, and Narcissa helped him find a hefty, but appropriate book for his friend. After some fawning from the woman at the counter, they were done.

"Draco, you should get something for Astoria."

"Who's Astoria?"

"Where have you been, Harry? She's betrothed to me, has been since I was six; she's a first-year in Ravenclaw."

"Pardon me for not following every single boring detail of your life."

"Draco, Harry, stop. You are in public. Draco, you need to choose a gift for her. Something from the stationary store up the alley should be nice."

Of course, Draco ended up choosing a white peacock feather quill with a solid gold nib and matching ink pot.

"Harry, who else do you need to shop for besides your friends?"

Harry thought for a moment. Remus had already helped him owl order presents for Sirius, the Tonks, and the Malfoys, so that left… "Just Remus," he stated.

"Then maybe this would be a good place to get him something as well."

Harry looked around before ultimately deciding on a cognac-colored leather bound journal that came with a sensible coordinating quill.

Once Harry and Draco finished their shopping, Narcissa took them to the magically warmed patio of Fortescue's for an afternoon treat in lieu of lunch. Harry stuck with a small monstrosity that was a chocolate waffle with three scoops of ice cream covered in chocolate and caramel sauce, while Draco chose something that looked achingly similar to a knickerbocker glory.

"My cousin used to like those," he commented off-hand as he dug into his dessert.

"The Muggle one?"

"Of course, the Muggle one." Harry could feel Narcissa's eyes on him, so he tried to eat with as much dignity as possible.

"Interesting."

They finished their ice cream and Narcissa returned Harry to Grimmauld Place. The first time she had done so, her mouth had dropped in awe and amazement. Now she simply breezed through the entryway and headed towards Sirius' study.

"Sirius Orion Black, you and I need to have a word," the two boys still near the stairs heard. They shrugged and headed to Harry's room until it was time for Draco to go.

Sirius opened his study door to find his cousin on the other side. "Yes, Cissy?"

"Don't call me that." She closed the door behind herself. "Have you spoken to Harry yet about his Muggle family?"

"I've tried."

"And I take it that you weren't successful?"

"It comes out in bits and pieces."

"Well, it needs to stop coming out in bits and pieces. Sirius, he is the boy who is essentially already your son. You need to have the conversation with him."

"I don't want to force him to talk about it."

"Well, what other option do you have? They might not have beaten him black and blue, but that does not mean that they treated him well. And you and I both know what the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black thinks of those who hurt their own."

"Fine. I'll talk to him. Happy?"

"Very. Also, have you considered an arrangement for Harry?"

If Sirius had been drinking something, it would have ended up being sprayed all over the front of his cousin's robes. "Are you talking about the kind of arrangement I think you're talking about?"

"Of course; Lucius and I made that decision for Draco when he was six."

"Exactly. I don't want to make that decision for him, I know that's not what his parents would have wanted. If James' parents had done that for him, he would have never married Lily."

"You and I both know that if he hadn't been making googly eyes at Lily that it would have happened sooner or later. As liberal as they were, his parents were still a part of a Noble and Most Ancient House, and his mother was a Black."

"Look, I'll consider it. But I'm not even mentioning it to him until at least next year."

###

Finally, it was time for the gathering at Marvolo's home. Once again, Sirius was waiting for Harry to finish getting ready.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Sirius had finally gotten a house elf, Harkey, who had laid out clothes for Harry for the event that night. Instead of being dressed, Harry was lying across his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Do I have to go?"

Sirius let out a sigh. "Yes, you have to go. You have ten minutes to get dressed before it's time for the portkey."

With a lot of grumbling, Harry pulled on the navy dress robes that were trimmed with bands of coordinating velvet around the wrists. With total disregard for his hair, he was downstairs and in the informal parlor just in time for the silver bell that was their transportation for the evening to start glowing blue."

As much as Harry was in a bad mood, he bore through greeting their host before a house elf took him away to the children's room. Draco was there, along with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.

"Potter, I would say that it was a pleasure, but I was taught to not tell lies."

"Miss Parkinson, it is lovely to see you as well, however in this setting, I'd prefer that you'd address me as Heir Potter."

Pansy was wearing frilly, cranberry red robes and had her arm looped around Draco's. Draco to his credit, didn't acknowledge her lack of manners.

Harry mentally groaned; the social niceties were already killing him and he hadn't even been here for ten minutes.

"Harry, cousin, the refreshments are on the able over there. Shall I introduce you to a few acquaintances of mine?"

Draco simultaneously maneuvered Pansy so that he could return her to her group of friends, while leading Harry in the general direction of the hors d'oeuvres and punch. In actuality, the group that Draco led Harry over to was mostly comprised of people he already knew or knew of.

"You may already know them, but may introduce you to Blaise Zabini, Dominic Vaisey, and Patrick Bole. Friends, this is Heir Harry Potter, of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter."

They greeted him in return, and when they all dropped the pretenses of 'heir this' and 'heir that', the conversation started to flow.

"So, Draco, is Parkinson still reinventing what it means to cling?" Vaisey asked with a chuckle.

Draco rolled his eyes, something which would have given his mother a mild heart attack had she seen. "I was going to say that she's wonderful at never leaving my side. And that's about it. Fortunately, I'm not stuck with her."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm contracted to someone else," Draco briefly explained to his housemate.

By the end of the night when it was time to go, and house elves began collecting children from the room, Harry had managed to somewhat metaphorically loosen his collar and actually slightly enjoy himself. If only those dress robes hadn't been so heavy and hot.

After Harry and Sirius were back at Grimmauld Place and they had both changed into their pajamas, Harkey served them hot chocolate to cap off the night.

"I take it that you didn't have a completely horrible night?" Sirius asked him.

"Not completely horrible. Sirius, I was wondering, when we went to Diagon Alley, Draco was shopping for Astoria Greengrass and said that he's contracted to her. As in like, he has to marry her."

"Within five years of them turning of age, most likely. I am familiar with those kinds of contracts. If you were wondering if I was planning something similar for you, I haven't decided yet."

"What? You'd actually do that to me?"

"I'd do it _for_ you. In an ideal world, you'd find a witch or wizard that made you very happy, had your best interests in mind, and was fully equipped to handle the rigors that accompany being the lady of an important family. When James found Lily, his parents could tell that she was exceptional, otherwise I don't doubt that they would have made arrangements that they preferred more."

"Are you kidding me? Have you met people like the Parkinsons?"

"I've never liked families like that, so that would be a non-issue. At the end of the day, your happiness in one of the most important things to me, but I will do what I have to to secure your future."


	23. Chapter 23

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _A/N:_ My last semester of college just started, so while I have the next few chapters written, don't be surprised if updates take a little longer - I want to stay a bit ahead, but real life, also known as the need to get enough sleep to barely function, might get in the way (#thesis). Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

"Happy Christmas Harry!"

Harry was woken up by Remus bursting through the door just as the sun had begun to peek through the gap in the curtains.

"Huh?"

"Harry, it's Christmas! Come on, before Sirius comes in and really wakes you up. I've heard that he's planned a few pranks, just in case."

 _That_ got Harry moving. He brushed his teeth in record time, threw on his dressing gown and slippers, and practically flew down the stairs. Sirius and Remus were already waiting downstairs near the tree.

Sirius had wanted an intimate holiday to celebrate their first as a family, plus Remus, of course, so they had lunch at the Tonks the day before, and sent their presents and regrets to the Malfoys a few days earlier. They, of course, were planning an extravaganza for that night.

"Stockings first!"

Harry hadn't even had a stocking at the Dursleys, so seeing his affixed to the mantel with a sticking charm filled him with all kinds of warm, fuzzy feelings. Remus pulled the stockings down and passed them around. They were mainly filled with chocolate and treats, put also crackers that were just begging to be pulled.

Then came time to open the presents under the tree. Harry was amazed to see the small mountain that awaited them.

"Let's do all the boring one's first. You'll have to write thank you notes, unfortunately," Sirius said as Remus got ready to take notes.

He had gotten presents from people he had met only in passing, like Lord Slytherin, who had sent him a book on Transfiguration. Lucius and Narcissa had sent him a set of journals and Draco had sent him a chess set. Neville gave him a book on the history of broom-making. After opening more presents, mostly from Sirius' new associates, that were mainly books, it was time for the presents he had been waiting to open.

Mrs. Weasley had once again given him a jumper, a maroon one this time, with an 'H' von the front, as well as a tin of homemade fudge. Ron had sent him a selection of candy from Honeyduke's, and the twins had given him a gift certificate to Fortescue's. Hermione had given him her gift, a certificate to Flourish and Blotts, before he had left for the holidays. Then it was time for Remus' gift.

"Sirius had wanted me to give this to you last, but I think his gift his better. And he knows that I've always been the smarter one, so he didn't fight me on this."

Remus passed Harry a large, sort of flat, rectangular package, wrapped in bright red paper. Harry pulled off the paper to find…a framed picture. And then it clicked. It was a black and white portrait of his mum and dad, sitting side-by-side on a sofa in a living room. Underneath, in elegant writing read: 'First Christmas at Godric's Hollow'.

"I took that photo, and saved a copy. They would have wanted you to have it. They were so, so happy that day."

Harry would have lied if he had been asked if he was alright. Nevertheless, the image went blurry for a few moments before coming back into focus. "Thank you, Remus." He carefully stowed the framed photo on a side table away from the mess of wrapping paper and ribbon on the floor.

"And what's even better," Sirius said, "is that Minister Fudge is in the process of un-declaring it a landmark and a memorial. It'll be yours again."

"What? Are you kidding?"

"Nope, not kidding. But I am Sirius."

"As soon as Fudge is finished pushing through all the legalities and technicalities, we can hire a good warder, probably through Gringotts, to secure everything until you're ready."

"And now, for the grand finale." Sirius passed Harry a long, boxy package, wrapped in blue paper with magically animated snowflakes.

Harry tore away the paper to find a box with a metal plate that read, 'Spudmore & Co.' and had a model number below it.

"No. You have to be bloody kidding me."

Sirius looked absolutely gleeful. "I guess you'll have to open the box to find out."

Harry pulled off the lid and looked inside. "No. Bloody. Way." Inside the box was a broom. But not just any broom. It was the Firebolt; the newest broom on the market.

"It's mine?"

"Well, the last time I checked, I had the model number registered to a certain H. J. Potter, so I'm guessing that that would be you."

"Thank you, Sirius. Seriously, thank you! Wait, can I go fly it now? Please?"

"How about after breakfast?" Remus suggested.

"Or how about now?" Sirius said with a smirk. "Race you to the back garden!"

Harry grabbed his new broom and sprinted down the hall and out the back door. He shucked off his slippers and swung his leg over the handle before kicking off the frost-covered ground, the wards of Grimmauld Place keeping him hidden from the view of Muggles.

After a few loop-de-loops and heart stopping maneuvers, Remus finally convinced him to return inside so that he didn't catch a cold before their visit to the Burrow the next day.

"How was it?" Sirius asked as they sat down to their Christmas morning breakfast, complete with hot chocolate, sausages, toast, ham, and more.

"Amazing. Brilliant. Fantastic. And thank you for the mum and dad's cottage. It means a lot."

"I'm glad you're happy, Harry."

###

For Boxing Day, Harry, Sirius, and Remus were headed to the Weasleys' house. After breakfast, some flying, and a bit of time spent reading the book Neville had sent him, Harry changed his new jumper, a pair of jeans, and trainers, and then took the floo first. It spat him out into the family's kitchen, where Arthur Weasley caught him just in time.

"Thanks, Mr. Weasley. Hey, Ron."

"Hey, mate."

Ron was at the long kitchen table, playing a game of chess with his second-eldest brother with a battered set. Remus and Sirius came out of the fireplace next.

"Hey, Harry, good to see you. It's been a while." Charlie Weasley had what looked like a semi-fresh burn running down his forearm. Right, he hadn't seen him since the whole situation with the dragon.

"You didn't get into too much trouble, right? You know, over the dragon?"

"Nah. To be honest, my bosses didn't care too much, especially because they've seen how good I am with Norberta. They even paid the fine for me."

"Norberta?"

"I guess you didn't know. Turns out that that dragon was actually a female. Bit of a handful, but nothing that I can't deal with. By the way, checkmate, Ron."

Ron groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Are you kidding me? That's the third game in a row."

"I'd say that you'd have better luck with Bill, but you won't. Maybe try Percy."

"Well, you can pack it up for now, boys, I need help setting the table for lunch."

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Weasley?" Remus asked graciously.

"No, no, you're our guests. I think Arthur just went back to the sitting room; Bill's in there too."

"Thanks for the sweater, Mrs. Weasley," Harry threw in, "and the fudge. And the sweets, Ron."

"I'm just glad it fits," she remarked. "You two seem to be growing an inch a day. Charlie, go find Ginny, and Fred and George. Lunch is just about ready."

Bill came in from the living room and started helping his mother set the table, using his wand to guide plates and cutlery to their places. Then Mrs. Weasley brought out the food: a hearty cabbage soup, turkey sandwiches, and mashed potatoes.

"Moony, pass me the pumpkin, will you?"

Everyone kept chatting around the table, but the twins seemed frozen in their seats.

"Have you heard from Hermione?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron shook his head before reaching for another sandwich. "Not a word. I'd have written her, but Percy refuses to share is owl and Errol might as well be deader than a doorknob. Mum and dad were talking about getting Ginny and I an owl to share, so I guess we'll see. Have you heard from her?"

"Just once; I wrote her to tell her about what I was learning over break, and she wrote back. But she sounded really odd, and her note was shorter than normal. And I sent her a note two days ago, to wish her a happy Christmas."

"Let's be honest, when is Hermione not odd? She's probably spending the holiday studying, as bizarre as that is."

"Maybe your marks in Transfiguration would be higher if you studied over break, Ronniekins," one of the twins called out.

"Like you'd know anything about high marks."

Harry saw Charlie and Bill roll their eyes at each other.

After they finished lunch, it was snowing outside, so instead of playing a friendly Quidditch, they all stayed inside. After briefly speaking to Fred and George on the stairs, Remus joined Charlie as a more suitable chess opponent, while Sirius and Arthur discussed the state of things at the Ministry.

Harry ended up talking to Ginny in a corner of the room.

"So, you'll be alright to go against Slytherin?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Hopefully, Frobisher won't have to play another full game until after I graduate."

"Just as long as it's not with Wood as a captain. I think she's permanently terrified of him."

"His heart's in the right place; he just cares, a lot. But he is a good keeper, and teams are paying attention, so he must be doing something right."

###

Once they got home, Harry took out his now old broom and a piece of parchment. After writing a short note, he said to Hedwig, "Hey, girl. I've got a late Christmas present for someone. Think you can take it for me?"

###

A few days later, while Harry was writing his thank you notes, Remus burst into his room. "Sirius needs to speak to you. It's urgent."

"What? Why?"

"He'll explain; he's in his study."

Harry got up and made his way to Sirius' study, a very old-feeling room. Remus was right behind him."

"Professor McGonagall, what are you doing here?"

"It was thought that it would be best for me to inform you in person. Miss Granger collapsed in the castle two days ago, and has been taken to St. Mungo's."

"Is she alright?"

"She should be fine, Mr. Potter. We typically don't inform students about matters like this, but the Headmaster and I believed that it was appropriate, given how close you and Miss Granger are. I'll be going to visit Mr. Weasley next."

Thank you for coming Minerva, I'll see you out."

"Good day, Mr. Potter."

Once she was gone, Harry asked Sirius, "Do you know what's going on?"

"I spoke to Minerva when she asked to stop by, so I have a vague idea, but not necessarily an idea that I can share with you at the moment."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not something that you should worry about; and the less you know about it, the better. Hogwarts is currently under enough scrutiny as it is, and after you, and now your friend, being involved in two separate incidents means that more attention than necessary will be on you. I'm trying to protect you, Harry."

"But Hermione's my friend!"

"Then all the more reason for you to hear what happened from her and not from me."


	24. Chapter 24

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

"Owl?"

"Check."

"Socks?"

"Check."

"Broom?"

"Check.

"Dung bombs to put under Snape's desk?"

"Sirius, don't encourage him."

"It was worth a try. Are you sure you're all set?"

"Sirius, I told you, I'm fine. And if I need anything I'll make sure to write."

"Make sure you do."

Harry seemed to hesitate for a moment before quickly wrapping his arms around Sirius. "I'll write every week."

"Even better. OK, time to go. Make sure you find a good compartment. Got enough sickles for the cart?"

"Yep. Bye!" Harry pulled out of Sirius' arms and bounded up the steps of the scarlet steam engine.

"I promise, it never gets easier."

"How sure are you about that, Narcissa?"

"Completely."

###

On the train, Harry was looking for a compartment when someone hugged him fiercely from behind. "Harry!"

"Victoria, I take it you got my present?"

"I couldn't believe it; mum even wanted me to send it back. Oh Harry, it's beautiful, I can't believe you sent me my own Nimbus, we could have never…anyway, thank you."

"I figured you could use it. Have you flown it yet?"

"Of course! It was just as amazing as yours; the speed was perfect and I had so much control."

"I'll tell you a secret," Harry leaned a little closer. "The broom I sent you was mine."

Victoria's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? You can't be serious? What are you going to fly now? Wood's going to kill me."

"Wood's not going to kill anyone; just maim a few people. Just kidding. And my godfather got me a new broom for Christmas, so no worries about that."

"What did he get you?"

"I guess you're just going to have to wait and see."

Harry left her and walked until he spotted familiar head of hair. He grabbed the handle and jerked open the door to the compartment.

"Hermione?"

"Hi, Harry." Hermione primly tucked her bookmark in between the pages of the latest tome that she had been reading before closing it. The title of it was _Moby Dick_.

"How have you been? Are you alright?" Harry shucked off his heavy cloak and threw it up onto the overhead rack along with his backpack. "Wait, why are you on the train? I thought you spent the holiday at school."

"It's a long story, but I'm fine. You look well."

"Thanks, Sirius took me shopping. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine!" Hermione snapped. She instantly recoiled. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. Professor McGonagall told me that she told you about me having to go to St. Mungo's."

"But no one told me why. What happened?"

"Promise you won't judge me?"

"You know I won't."

"Oh Harry, I did something so, so _stupid_. At the start of term, I snuck into the Restricted Section after curfew and found this book; it was a recipe for a focusing potion in it. I was taking it on and off until the holidays. I couldn't have been dumber."

"What was wrong with it?"

"I brewed it just fine, but I didn't know about the side effects. I must have misread something."

"But you're OK?"

"I'm fine, really. I only spent three days in St. Mungo's total; they said that it could have been far worse. The worst part was talking with Professor McGonagall and the headmaster. They were _so_ disappointed in me."

"You're not in trouble, right?"

Hermione was silent for a moment. "I…not really. The school rules don't technically forbid focusing potions as study aids, but all of the professors said that I violated the spirit of the Hogwarts charter. So, I have to redo all of the work for any classes I want to continue next year by the end of this coming summer."

"Hermione, you're Hermione. If anyone could do it, it's you."

Ron found them just as the train was moving. He was panting and his face was red, all the way up to his ears. "Ginny spent a half hour looking for a bloody shoe," he announced in an exasperated tone as he threw himself into the seat next to Harry.

The train arrived in Hogsmeade around the typical dinner hour, and the carriages took them up to the castle. Halfway through dinner, Dumbledore stood up, tapping his goblet with a spoon to gain the student's focus.

"If I may have your attention, please. I am sure you are all wondering about the results of the evaluation of Hogwarts done by our esteemed Board of Governors. The official report will be gracing the pages of tomorrow's edition of the _Daily Prophet_ , however, I will also share it with you now. Effective immediately, Professor Snape will be returning to his post."

There was no applause for that announcement.

"However, he will only be teaching the N.E.W.T. and N.E.W.T. preparatory classes for sixth and seventh years. All other years will be taught by Professor Slughorn, as he has generously agreed to stay on."

Harry could see Snape's scowl from his seat halfway across the hall at the amount of applause that proclamation received.

"In addition," Dumbledore continued once everything had settled down, "Professor Burbage will be updating the Muggle Studies curriculum. And finally, Divination is hereby no longer a class offered at Hogwarts. Students currently in the class are welcome to continue their studies in the subject independently, or may join another elective. All of the professors will be happy to help you catch up."

All Harry could think about was the bullet he had dodged.

"What am I going to do now?" Ron whispered to him. "Mum's going to make me take up something else; I just know it."

"Well, Ron, that's what happens when you take the easy way out."

"Well you should know all about the easy way out, Hermione," Ron shot back.

Harry continued to eat his steak and kidney pie and turned his attention back to the headmaster.

"In conclusion," he continued to wrap up his remarks, "I think we can all agree that this is the next best step for Hogwarts, and we have the Board of Governors to thank for continuously moving this school into the future."

"Doesn't look to happy about this whole, 'school of the future' thing, does he?" Neville observed.

"He probably hasn't had this much attention on the school in a long, long time."

###

Sure enough, Hogwarts was front page news the next morning, and the accompanying article had commentary from various members of the Board of Governors and the Ministry.

"Look at this," Hermione said, shoving her own copy of the paper under Harry's nose.

… _and we have to consider what's best for our children, and what is best for our future," stated Lord Slytherin in his official remarks to the Wizarding Wireless Network in advance to the report's release. "We need to improve, for their benefit and for our own."_

 _Lord Malfoy also released a statement: "I am happy to see that standards at Hogwarts are once again returning to what they should be."_

"Malfoy probably spends his time up Slytherin's bum," Ron said after taking a look at Neville's morning edition.

"I really don't think he's that bad," Harry commented, "you know Sirius has met with him before."

"But Sirius is Sirius. And Sirius is nice. That's just politics."

Harry glanced at Neville and saw him shake his head slightly. "Sure. Just politics."

###

As the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match was in just a couple short weeks, Wood scheduled practices for almost every other day leading up to the game.

"Is that…is that a Firebolt?" Wood sounded a little breathless, almost as if he was about to faint.

"Oh, this?" Harry queried, gesturing to his new broom. "I guess so."

"You. Have. A. Firebolt."

"That would be correct." Harry glanced over at Victoria and sent a small wink her way. "Shouldn't we be practicing or something? I think we only have the pitch until 7 and then Ravenclaw gets it. And it's bloody cold."

That snapped Oliver to attention and he started barking out instructions for drills. The last quarter of practice was dedicated to seekers drills for Victoria and Harry, and while Oliver's excuse was that he needed to make sure that Harry wasn't out of practice, he probably just wanted to see the brand-new broom in action.

After Harry finished taking a hot shower in the changing rooms and getting dressed in warm clothes, he started heading back up to the castle. However, Fred and George quickly caught up with him.

"If it isn't the son of one of the Marauders."

"Just think George, we've been at Hogwarts with the son of Prongs and the godson of Padfoot for all these years and we didn't have a clue."

"How did you find out about the Marauders?" Harry asked as the trio kept slogging their way through the slush on the ground.

"On Boxing Day."

"No Fred, before that."

"Oh yes, of course. In _our_ third year, we were in Filch's office for detention and he made us sort through and organize his filing cabinets."

"And we found this intriguing map of Hogwarts. And then it _spoke_ to us. And the owners introduced themselves as Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."

"So, when we heard the honorable Lord Black calling the honorable Mr. Lupin 'Moony' on Boxing Day, we put three and five together and got eight."

"Remus told me how they lost the map at some point. Can I see it?"

"Nope. Tricked by one of the best tricksters. One moment it was in my pocket, the next the most wonderful Padfoot was telling me to have a nice day."

"Except the most generous Mr. Lupin did promise to invest in our joke shop if we at least finished our O.W.L.S."

"Don't forget about those four N.E.W.T.S., George."

"You want to run a joke shop? Like Zonko's?"

"Those party tricks will have nothing on us," one of the twins proclaimed. "We've been planning to start inventing our own products."

"Like firecrackers."

"Pranks."

"Magic tricks."

"Magic treats."

"OK, I think I understand. That's cool."

"Except you can't tell anyone. Not even Ronniekins. Or Hermione. Or Neville. Or anyone. And especially not our mother."

"Don't worry, I won't. Does Sirius know?"

"Of course he does. Said he'd help write a proper contract and everything but that Remus won't sign until we finish our O.W.L.S. Said something about doing well as a gesture of goodwill."

They finally reached the castle and made sure to wipe off their shoes before entering, lest Filch appear to chastise them and give them detention.

"Speaking of which, we should go to the library. Can't say we've been there before. Bye Harry!"

Harry already had homework of his own, so he went straight to Gryffindor Tower. Ron was reading the book about chess that Hermione had given him for Christmas when Harry joined him next to the fireplace.

"Are you doing homework already? We've only been back for two days!"

"Slughorn gave us that essay remember? If I don't do it now, I will barely have any time next week because of Quidditch. He seems to think that I'm some kind of potions genius because of my mum."

"Harry, has it ever occurred to you that you could actually be good at potions? You've been doing so much better without Professor Snape in class. We've all been doing a lot better. And Professor Slughorn actually awards points fairly."

Harry was pretty sure that Hermione had been keeping a mental tally for every single time that Snape had refused to call on her, or had given a Slytherin points for a well-done potion but not her.

"That's true. I hadn't thought of it that way."

"Speaking of Slughorn, has he mentioned another one of his gatherings? Like the dinner he had before the holiday? I know that I probably won't get an invitation after what I did, but I was hoping I could try."

"He hasn't mentioned anything to me. But maybe he will; and you never know. You're still the smartest witch in our year.

###

At Grimmauld Place, Sirius had just received a letter.

 _Dear Lord Black,_

 _I am pleased to report that, according to the wishes of yourself and Heir Potter, that the memorial at the cottage belonging to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter has been removed, however, the stasis charm preserving the site has been kept in place._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Cornelius Oswald Fudge_

 _Minister of Magic; Great Britain_

* * *

 _A/N_ : And that's Chapter 24! Chapter 25 is complete, as well. I actually know where this story is going to go, so while I don't know how many chapters are left, i have the majority of it mapped out. I'm juggling a lot in real life so updates will be sporadic. Vote on the poll on my profile - that one's next.


	25. Chapter 25

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _A/N_ : I'm back! Life has been crazy busy (I'm working on my thesis and about to graduate), but here's Chapter 25 (I know, it's short), and 26 and 27 are also done. In addition, I almost never write story recs in my own fics (you can just take a look at my favorite stories list), but _everyone_ should go read **Consuming Shadows** by **Child-OTKW** (currently in progress).Literally, this story is everything.

 **5/5/2017: PSA/Update - I'm currently finishing my thesis (one week to go!) and getting ready to graduate, so while the next few chapters are almost ready to go, I'm banning myself from the internet until I get real life stuff done.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

"Good luck today, Harry."

"Thanks, Hermione."

Since Oliver had wanted to keep the Firebolt as much of a secret as he could, Harry had taken his broom down to the changing rooms the night before and Wood had personally ensured that the broom was as secure as possible.

Harry joined the team as they headed down to the pitch to change. After checking on his broom, he pulled on his gold and red Quidditch clothes over his thermal underclothes. It was cold out.

It was his first game back, and he was determined to win. Or at least catch the snitch, especially because it was against Slytherin and they needed to stay at the top of the house standings. By the time both teams were warming up, the stands were full.

When it was time for the game to start, Madam Hooch had them get into their starting formations.

"Nice broom, Potter."

"Nice hair, Malfoy."

The referee blew the whistle and the game began. Harry instantly started by showing off his top-class racing broom by doing a loop-de-loop around Draco before ascending higher above the pitch.

"And just look at Potter on the brand new Firebolt racing broom. That balance! The precision! The…oh, look, Slytherin just scored. 10-0, they're in the lead."

Harry glanced down at the game to see that they weren't playing awfully. Yet. They were pretty fairly matched, even though most of the Slytherins were still flying on the Nimbus 2001s that Draco's father had donated, while some players on the Gryffindor side were still lying on older models.

"And Bell scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

The game was on.

The score fluctuated over the course of the next half hour, while Harry and Draco searched for the snitch.

And then Draco dived. Harry was instantly behind him, but realized halfway to the ground, over the roar of the crowd, that it was a feint. Why? Because, out of the corner of his eye, he had spotted the snitch. It was just to his right and about to flit away.

He jerked on his broom handle, made an almost ninety-degree turn out of his steep dive, and barreled towards the snitch, snatching out of the air with his left hand.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Lee Jordan announced over the explosion of noise that echoed across the field. "Potter, in his first game back, catches the snitch for Gryffindor! Gryffindor wins, 210-50!"

Jordan kept going on about what a bloody good catch it was, and for once, Professor McGonagall didn't threaten to take away points for his language. Not that Harry heard any of it, considering the fact that he was being swarmed by his team.

###

For once, Harry was having a quiet term at Hogwarts, besides busy Quidditch practices with the ever-fanatic Oliver Wood. Life had settled down.

###

"Marvolo, it's good to see you."

This time they were on Sirius' turf, meeting in his study at Grimmauld Place.

"I believe you wished to discuss the details of protocols we wanted to put in place to serve the werewolf population?"

"Yes, I did. Go ahead."

"Firstly, we need to organize distribution centers for free doses of the Wolfsbane Potion, as well as care centers for post-full moon medical treatment and recovery. Do you have suggestions for funding?"

"If we solicit contributions from the Wizengamot, we could easily fund the first few on a trial basis, and then we could demand a restructuring of the Ministry of Magic's budget in order to accommodate the new legislation."

"I take it that we won't be requiring werewolves to register?"

"They have enough of a target on their backs as it is. We'll also have to see if the DMLE can contribute Aurors to protect any werewolves using the services from reprisal."

"By which you mean being drawn and quartered."

"Basically. Have you started drafting the legislation?"

"Here." Marvolo passed Sirius a scroll of parchment, sealed with inky black wax.

Sirius took out a quill, dipped it in his pot of ink and started making notes. "I think Manchester and Bristol might be good places to start. What do you think?"

"I think we should trial four. Leicester has one of the highest number of werewolves per capita; we should definitely focus our efforts there, and Glasgow is close second. I think we should save London for close to last."

"Alright. Remus drew up the estimates for the initial startup and operating costs, do you want to see them?"

"Of course."

It was Sirius turn to hand the other lord some information. Marvolo's brow crinkled as he examined the figures. "We might need to spend more on the initial brewing costs until we can get more potions brewers on board. Currently, there are only three certified to brew the Wolfsbane Potion in England, one in Ireland, and one in Wales."

"So we need to provide an incentive, possibly a monetary one. Are you sure it's wise to have four starter locations?"

"We need to convince the Wizengamot, and the general public, that we are serious about catering to the needs of those infected with lycanthropy. We can't be timid."

"Alright then. Four pilot locations it is."

"Well, at least we've managed to come to an agreement."

If only those long-dead, stodgy Blacks could see Sirius now.


	26. Chapter 26

_Disclaimer:_ Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. Doesn't that suck? Guess I'll just have to come up with my own genius, millions-making story idea, but in the meantime, I'll just stick to writing fanfiction.

 _A/N:_ After a _**very**_ long absence, I'm back! In the past three months I've graduated from college, moved, and started a new job, so as you can probably imagine, real life as been very stressful and a bit insane.

I've decided that Marvolo is way, way too nice in this story (and let's be honest, Harry and Sirius are seriously outshining him), so the Dark Lord will be playing a much bigger role in my next fic (TBD). Speaking of which, there are only a few chapters to go, so vote on the poll in my profile! I'll be closing it soon.

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

Following the Quidditch win against Slytherin, Harry's peaceful spring term continued. Until the Easter holidays rolled around.

It was time to go to Godric's Hollow.

Sirius met Harry at the train platform and escorted him out before side-along apparating him to Grimmauld Place. "Sorry for missing the game against Slytherin, but I heard it was good. It was worth it to just see Lucius foaming at the mouth at Draco's loss."

"Are we going to the cottage now?"

"I thought you'd like some lunch first."

"I ate on the train."

"Pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs don't count as lunch, Harry." Sirius gave him a nudge in the direction of the kitchen. "Food should already be on the table, I'll be right there."

Harry went to go eat, while Sirius made a pit stop by his study to double check a few documents. They were from the goblins, of course. He had acted as Harry's guardian to ensure that more secure wards were placed around the cottage and the land that it occupied. He didn't trust Fudge's competency.

"Sirius, come eat! Your soup's getting cold!" his godson yelled up the stairs.

"Coming!" Sirius shouted back.

When he made it to the kitchen, Harry was already almost done eating. "So when are we leaving?"

"Soon, I promise. Why don't you go change and put on something older? I still haven't been inside, so I don't know what kind of state everything is in."

"Got it." Harry slurped down the rest of his soup, ignoring Narcissa's voice in the back of his mind and the phantom stinging in his hands and dashed up to his room.

Harry was back downstairs in less than five minutes?"

"Can we go now?"

"What are you wearing?"

"Dudley's hand-me-downs. I kept a couple things after we went shopping just in case I needed them."

Sirius eyed the rolled-up jeans, the belt wrapped twice around Harry's waist, and the jumper that was sagging off his right shoulder. "Remind me to light a fire tonight. And we definitely need to have that talk about those Dursleys. Are you ready to go?"

Harry gave a quick nod. "Ready."

"We'll be apparating. Remus will meet us there a little later."

When they arrived, Harry was relieved because the memorial was gone. Now it was just a sad, sad house that had been a home. The first thing Sirius did was wave his wand to set the door to rights.

"I guess that'll need a new coat of paint."

Sirius looked down, although not too far, since Harry was growing like a weed, at his godson. "I guess you're right." That was an understatement. There were deep gouges in the wood and what was left of the dark green paint Lily had chosen was peeling.

"And it'll have to be landscaped, too. I can do the weeding."

"I'm sure there are plenty of companies that do it. We'll just have to find the right one."

"It's fine. I used to weed…" Harry trailed off.

"We'll talk about it later." Sirius then cast a quick _reparo_ on the broken front window and there was a light clinking sound as the glass reassembled. "Ready to go in?"

"I guess so."

Sirius gently pulled open the just recently fixed front door by the tarnished handle. The lock had been obliterated. "Stay by me Harry. You never know what we might find. And watch were you step."

"Ok."

There was some light coming through the windows in the front room, but not a lot. The old couch was still there, except it's studding was strewn across the room. The beige carpet was dirty and scorched, and the remnants of what had probably a vase were all over.

"I think Petunia gave Lily that for Christmas one year. I don't think she'd mind if we didn't fix it." But Sirius did fix the couch, righted the coffee table, cleaned the rug the best he could, and vanished the broken bits of ceramic.

"Sirius, look."

Sirius looked up to see more damage, mostly evidence of spell fire, including one particularly large hole that, if he remembered correctly, went straight through the floor of bathroom. "I'll get it fixed. Should we do the kitchen?"

The kitchen was pristine.

There was a slight layer of dust on the tile countertops, but otherwise, it was as clean as the night that Lily and James had last used it.

"Do you think the food's any good? The power's not working."

Sirius shook his head. "I probably wouldn't eat it. Food's not supposed to be under stasis for twelve years. I'll remind Remus to bin it."

"What was my dad's favorite food?"

"If it was food, James would eat it."

"What about my mum?"

"She could eat treacle tart like there was no tomorrow. She always hogged it when we had it for dessert. The one's she made were always delicious."

"So, what's next?"

"There's not much else down here. The dining room looks fine, from what I can see. I guess we should go upstairs."

They heard a pop.

"Hello?"

"We're in the kitchen!"

They heard the creaking of the front door and then footsteps. It was Remus. "You doing alright Sirius? You look a little…"

"I know. We're doing upstairs next."

"Oh. Harry, why don't we go check the cupboards in here quickly while Sirius makes sure that it's safe to go up there. He might have to repair the roof."

Harry's quiet agreeance was enough to propel Sirius out of the room and to the stairs. The last time he had stood here, he had seen a pale, bare, unmoving foot.

And then a leg.

And then torn pajamas.

And then a dropped wand.

A frozen hand.

Askew glasses.

Glassy hazel eyes.

And a look of silent, complete, and final horror.

Sirius was shaking by the time he finished ascending the stairs, and hadn't even noticed that he had been crying until something very wet and salty began to drip from his chin. He allowed himself a few sniffs and a few moments before soldiering on.

All of the doors in the corridor had been blasted open at one point, each bearing large, singular holes. There was no point of checking the guest room, but he felt wrong entering the bedroom that James and Lily had shared.

The bed had been lifted and smashed against the opposite wall, and downy feathers littered the room. A quick glance into their closet revealed that everything else had been spared.

The bathroom was unsalvageable – the curse through the living room ceiling had ensured that.

Next was the nursery.

Sirius steeled himself.

More light was coming into the room through the whole in the roof, making it light and cheery. But if he thought hard enough, he could still see Lily laying on the ground, her hair fanned around her head like an angry halo.

"Can we come up?" he heard Remus shout up the stairs.

Right. Harry and Remus.

"Su—re." He cleared his throat after his voice cracked mid-word. "Sure. Remus, I think I'll need your help here."

Together, Sirius and Remus patched the gaping hole the best they could, at least until they could find someone better equipped to repair massive structural damage from curse backlash.

Sirius turned around to see Harry tracing a path in the dust along the rail of his former crib. "Was I really this tiny?"

"You were tinier. About this long," Remus said, gesturing with his hands, "but you were heavier than you looked."

"Is this where my mum died?"

"She was protecting you. I promise you, she tried her very best."

###

They were back at Grimmauld Place a few hours later. They had taken anything truly valuable, such as Lily's jewelry box and both of Harry's parents' Hogwarts trunk, and would go back to do a more through inventory. Not to mention that there was still a ton of repairs left to make.

Sirius, Remus, and Harry were sitting in the living room, each with a cup of hot chocolate and a small plate of snacks.

"This is way better than dinner," Harry remarked as he tore into a slice of treacle tart."

"I told you," Remus murmured to Sirius, "Kids are resilient. Just look at me." In a slightly louder voice he said, "Hopefully, dessert instead of dinner doesn't happen too often around here."

Sirius shrugged and sent an exaggerated wink in Harry's direction.

"So, Harry, Sirius mentioned something about the Dursleys?"

"Seriously? Not you too! It's fine, really."

"Then either you're unreliably minute, which I doubt, or your cousin is the size of a baby elephant."

"I mean, he probably is now. His school nurse put him on a diet, and Aunt Petunia made him follow it, but Uncle Vernon would always sneak him takeaway and crisps."

"Is that the same one that Lily described as being a cross between a grumpy walrus and an angry bear?"

"Sounds about right."

"Harry, Sirius also said something about you having to do chores? Like weeding gardens?"

"Aunt Petunia was really proud of her begonias. She had me weeding the planting bed all the time."

"And what did Dudley do?"

Harry looked at Sirius like he was mad. "Dudley never had to do chores."

"Doesn't that strike you as a bit unfair?"

"Uncle Vernon called it 'earning my keep'."

"So, they didn't tell you that they received funds for taking care of you and declaring you a member of their household?"

Harry just shook his head. "They called me a burden."

"Harry James Potter, you have never been, and never will be, a burden to anyone, least of all a man with a walrus man and his elephant of a son."

"Creative insults."

"Thank you; I tried."

Remus continued with his questions. "What else did you have to do?"

"I made breakfast, I dusted and vacuumed, washed Uncle Vernon's car, once Aunt Petunia had me repaint the shed, mowed the lawn, weeded the plants, and trimmed the hedges."

Sirius' and Remus' eyebrows rose higher and higher as Harry's list went on. "And when did you start doing all of these things?"

"I started with dusting the things I could reach when I was five, then I started doing breakfast for Uncle Vernon and Dudley when I was about seven, and then the yardwork when I was eight. Before that I spent most of my time in my cupboard."

Remus looked confused. "Your cupboard? Like a little hideaway or play space?"

"No, my room."


End file.
